SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — The governors of Pennsylvania and New York are banning indoor dining to slow the spread of COVID-19, but New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he won’t be joining them.
At a Trenton news briefing Friday, Murphy said he plans to keep restaurants in New Jersey partially open.
“We still are staying with what we got, which is indoor dining subject to 25% capacity, closing by 10 p.m. (It’s) still our policy and still what we recommend,” he said.
With Pennsylvania and New York closing indoor dining — Pennsylvania’s ban starts Saturday and lasts through the new year — Murphy will keep an eye on whether New Jersey’s policy invites out-of-state diners.
“You do raise the potential for unintended consequences,” he said. “There’s people all of a sudden start coming across the Hudson or the Delaware. We’ve just got to watch that very closely.”
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Instead of prohibiting all indoor dining, Murphy said New Jersey is trying to be “surgical” with its restrictions, namely, by citing individual establishments that violate the rules. The governor said the state is seeking to suspend the liquor licenses of 10 bars, including three in South Jersey, that violated COVID-19 restrictions.
The state is seeking a 20-day license suspension against Jalapenos Bar and Grille in Gloucester City for allowing patrons to sit at the bar and failing to enforce mask requirements. Authorities want a 25-day suspension for the 814 South Pub and Kitchen in Somerdale for violating the 10 p.m. curfew and failing to keep tables 6 feet apart. And, the state is seeking a 115-day suspension for the B&B Saloon in Atlantic City for allowing customers to sit at the bar, failing to maintain social distancing and face mask requirements, and violating other rules.
“Let these charges send a perfectly clear signal to any bar or restaurant owner who thinks that the rules don’t apply to them: This will happen to you,” Murphy asserted. “We will not tolerate knucklehead behavior and we will not hesitate to shut you down.”