PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Phil Murphy is giving New Jersey towns the power to tighten restrictions on some businesses to try to curb the second wave of COVID-19.
Under the governor's latest executive order, counties and municipalities would have the authority to close nonessential businesses after 8 p.m.
Murphy said conditions in New Jersey in the second wave of the virus are different from last spring when he ordered all nonessential businesses closed.
"Our approach to this second wave is to act surgically within hotspot areas," Murphy said at a Trenton news conference. "And that means giving local officials the ability to take actions to prevent localized hotspots from becoming COVID wildfires."
Murphy said he personally didn't believe many towns would impose the curfew, but he wanted to give them the option.
"Municipalities and counties do not have to impose additional operating hours restrictions if they do not wish to do so," he said.
The order came as the state reported 3,517 new cases in the last day, more than 200 of them in Camden County. The state also reported 18 additional deaths, bringing the state's confirmed death total to 14,694.
And 1,827 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, the most since June 4.
State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said private gatherings have been spreader events.
She said a Halloween party in Gloucester County led to 22 cases and another in Cumberland County led to three more. Persichilli said there have also been outbreaks among youth hockey teams, including one in Gloucester County.
Persichilli warned that if New Jersey continues on its current trajectory, the state will return to the situation it faced last spring.
"Since Monday, we have reported more than 10,000 new cases," Persichilli said. "This is a wake-up call."
