TRENTON, N.J. (WCBS 880) — Gov. Phil Murphy is relaxing some COVID-19 restrictions in New Jersey.
Murphy said Wednesday that he will be signing an executive order increasing indoor capacity limits at several businesses and venues from 25% to 35%.
It will take effect 8 a.m. Friday.
"I feel confident in signing this order because of the recent trends in our hospitals in our rate of transmission," Murphy said. "For instance on Jan. 13 we reported 3,726 confirmed and suspected COVID cases in our hospitals, today, three weeks later, we're reporting a decrease of about 20% from that number... We believe that we can make this expansion without leading to further stress on our health care system."
Coming just in time for the Super Bowl, it's welcome news for restaurants, which will be allowed to expand indoor dining capacity to 35%. The governor is also lifting the statewide 10 p.m. curfew that required restaurants to end indoor service at that hour.
Murphy said local municipalities or counties can continue to regulate restaurant operating hours after 8 p.m.
Murphy said seating at indoor bar areas remains prohibited because "it creates the danger of close and prolonged proximity between patrons, bartenders, and servers."
Restaurants owners are applauding the changes announced Wednesday.
Agapios Kyritsis, who owns Marco Polo Restaurant & Tavern and The Eatery in Summit, said he hopes the move helps business.
"On the weekend it could help, that's for sure. I could increase the kitchen hours by an extra half an hour on Friday and Saturday, and stay open until 11," he said.
Although it’s an exciting move for restaurant owners, Kyritsis says it all comes down to how comfortable customers feel about going out.
"It will hopefully create trust and security among the patrons to say, 'Hey, if the governor thinks things are looking up, things are looking more safe, the vaccine is out there,' then they'll feel more secure and better about going out to eat," he said.
Capacities also being up to 35% for casinos, gyms, barbershops, hair salon.
"We're able to take this step today because the data says we can, and the data says we can because of the hard work millions of you have put in," Murphy said.
Religious gatherings, weddings, funerals, political activities and performance venues can also go up to 35%, with a hard cap of a 150 people.
The one wildcard, Murphy says, is the variants.
"We're gonna closely monitor this and make sure that we stay ahead of it," Murphy said.
Unlike New York, Murphy says he doesn't have plans to make restaurant workers eligible for the vaccine anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Hoboken and Jersey City announced that their bars would return to normal business hours on Friday following curfews. The move is to keep patrons from going from one city to the other.
Hoboken Mayor Ravinder Bhalla said the city's Alcohol Beverage Control Unit will be on high alert for the first few weeks.
"I'm cautiously optimistic that our business community, as responsible as it is, will respect the protocols that have been in place for months now and hopefully eventually to a fully recovery," Bhalla said.
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