SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey bars and restaurants can have a few more patrons for the Super Bowl this weekend.
The state will raise its indoor dining capacity from 25% to 35%, effective Friday.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced his executive order on Wednesday, which will also lift the statewide indoor dining curfew of 10 p.m.
COVID-19 regulations, like social distancing and mask-wearing, will still be enforced.
Indoor seating at bar areas is still prohibited.
Indoor entertainment and recreation venues, like casinos, gyms and salons, can start operating at 35% capacity on Friday as well.
Indoor performance venues and indoor gatherings — pertaining to religious services, weddings, political activities and funerals — are also capped at 35% capacity, but with a maximum of 150 people.
Murphy said they are able to loosen coronavirus regulations slightly “because of the millions of you who have taken responsibility for ending this pandemic to heart.”
Coronavirus hospitalizations have gone down 20% over the last three weeks.
“We believe that we can make this expansion without leading to undue or further stress on our health care system,” he added.
Indoor dining has been capped at 25% since September, and Murphy said New Jersey has avoided what he called the “roller coaster” of restaurant openings and closings in other states.
“We have been consistent in our approach. Because we opened indoor dining responsibly, never once have we had to reduce capacity. And now because of your compliance, we can further expand indoor dining,” he said.
Murphy could not say, though, whether the move would permit restaurant workers to be moved up on the vaccine priority list.