NJ governor: Outdoor dining and indoor, non-essential retail allowed starting June 15

Hair salons and barbershops can reopen June 22

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Small World Coffee’s Witherspoon Street location in downtown Princeton opened Tuesday morning for carry-out orders. You can order in person but you must pay by credit card. You still need to order online for the Nassau Street location. Coffee shops and eateries in the state are allowed to offer carry-out and curbside pickup orders. On June 22 they can begin to offer outdoor dining. Photo by Krystal Knapp.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Monday that outdoor dining and non-essential retail will be allowed to start again on June 15 as the state enters stage two of his reopening plan. Hair salons and barbershops will be allowed to open on June 22.

After June 22, the state will work toward the gradual opening of personal care businesses, gyms, and health clubs at reduced capacities as the stage progresses. All activities will be allowed but officials said strict health and safety guidelines will be issued in the coming days.

“As we move through stage one of our strategic restart and recovery process, public health data continues to demonstrate our collective success in flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” said Murphy. “It is with these favorable metrics, coupled with expanded testing capacity and contact tracing, that we can responsibly enter stage two of our multi-stage approach to recovery. Our economic restart must instill confidence among our residents and visitors that their safety, and that of their families, is our number one priority.”

Phased-in businesses and activities, with adherence to safeguarding and modification guidelines, include:

  • Outdoor dining beginning on June 15
  • Limited in-person retail beginning on June 15
  • Hair salons and barbershops beginning June 22
  • Youth summer programs beginning on July 6
  • In-person clinical research/labs
  • Limited fitness/gyms
  • Limited in-person government services (e.g. – Motor Vehicle Commission)
  • Museums/libraries

Officials said all workers who can work from home should continue to work from home.

Precautions that still apply across all stages include people with a higher risk of developing COVID-19 complications staying home, and all residents and businesses following state and federal guidelines including washing hands, wearing masks in public, minimizing gatherings, disinfecting workplaces and businesses, and not holding mass gatherings.

Officials said New Jersey will move toward subsequent stages based on data that demonstrates improvements in public health and the capacity to safeguard the public, including:

  • Sustained improvements in public health indicators, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, individuals in intensive care, and ventilator use;
  • Substantial increase in testing and contact tracing capacity;
  • Sufficient resilience in New Jersey’s health care system to include adequate bed capacity, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and workforce;
  • Widespread safeguarding of workplaces;
  • Widespread safeguarding and capacity of child care, schools, and mass transit;
  • Continued public compliance.

Officials said if public health indicators, safeguarding, or compliance worsen on a sustained basis, New Jersey officials will be prepared to move the state back to more restrictive stages.

Avatar of Krystal Knapp

Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.

4 Comments

  1. How are Malls going to operate moving forward with these limited restrictions?

  2. Good news, but the governor should focus on group homes as well. Most residents of group homes are currently infected with Corona virus. Immediate attention is needed in this area. Before the situation turns to Nursing home.

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