New Jersey shore town allowing indoor dining despite coronavirus
Asbury Park will allow limited dining rooms services starting Monday
Asbury Park, N.J. is giving the go-ahead on indoor dining.
Despite Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order prohibiting reopening dining rooms, as the United States continues to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, the Jersey Shore city will allow limited eat-in services at its restaurants.
Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn told the Asbury Park Press that the city moved ahead to reopen indoor dining because the pandemic-spurred shutdown has taken a toll on local businesses.
NEARLY 70% OF RESTAURANTS HAVE REOPENED AMID CORONAVIRUS
The move comes after Gov. Murphy said Tuesday he would sign an executive order lifting the state’s stay-at-home order. As part of that plan, the City Council will allow restaurants to open indoor service Monday at 25 percent capacity or 50 people total, whichever is lower. Murphy said that while outdoor dining would start Monday indoor dining remains prohibited.
There are roughly 165,000 positive COVID-19 cases in New Jersey, data show, and more than 12,300 people have died from the virus there. Murphy said there were 375 new cases overnight.
GEORGIA WAS THE FIRST US STATE TO REOPEN. WHAT DOES ITS ECONOMY LOOK LIKE NOW?
All 50 states have started to reopen in some capacity, but there are stark variations based on how big of an impact of the virus. Some businesses operating in the pandemic could foreshadow what the new normal could look like. Hotel chain Hilton, for example, partnered with the maker of Lysol and consulted with the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Response Team to develop enhanced cleaning procedures. Meanwhile, Airbnb is enforcing stricter protocols, requiring rentals to stay vacant for at least 24 hours between checkout and a new reservation.