TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- New Jersey may have hit pause on resuming indoor dining, but there are still a handful of reopenings happening this week and next.
Detailed guidelines about the reopenings are available on the state's website.
During his daily briefing on Wednesday, Murphy said the state was "moving forward as quickly as we can, but as safely as we must."
Indoor dining was initially slated to resume on Thursday, but the governor halted that plan on Monday, saying that some New Jerseyans were showing "a complete disregard for social distancing."
Among the venues failing to follow COVID-19 guidelines was The Factory Restaurant & Lounge, a Jersey City eatery, Murphy said Wednesday. The city took legal action against the establishment on Tuesday, he said.
"This past weekend, photos and video showed large crowds packed inside," he said. "No one should get a pass for putting public health at risk."
While the "majority" of bars and restaurants in the state have been enforcing social distancing, one establishment can "ruin it for everyone," he noted.
Murphy on Wednesday reported 423 new COVID-19 cases and 45 new deaths, bringing the state's case total to 171,928 and its death toll to 13,244. The state is also investigating an additional 1,854 probable COVID-19 deaths.
As of Wednesday, 1,080 people in the state were hospitalized for treatment of the virus, 217 of whom were in critical or intensive care.
Murphy, citing data from an initiative called Covid Act Now, which creates COVID-19 data models, said New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts are currently the only four states in the country on track to contain the virus' spread.
"We want to stay in the green. We must stay in the green," he said. "We know all too well what it's like to be in the red."
"We were there, and that is as painful as it gets," he added. "Don't be the match that starts a COVID wildfire. Use your common sense for the common good."
