New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Saturday signed Executive Order No. 107, directing all residents to stay at home until further notice.
The order provides for certain exceptions, such as obtaining essential goods or services, seeking medical attention, visiting family or close friends, reporting to work, or engaging in outdoor activities.
New Jersey now has more than 1,300 coronavirus cases, compared to 40 in Delaware. A portion of the state is in the hard-hit New York City metro area.
Delaware has been gradually tightening emergency orders, with Gov. John Carney ordering the closing of beaches after one day of warm weather led to crowds on the beach and at some businesses.
We have 442 new positive #COVID19 cases, bringing our total to 1,327.
• Atlantic: 4
• Bergen: 363
• Burlington: 21
• Camden: 15
• Cumberland: 1
• Cape May: 2
• Essex: 107
• Gloucester: 6
• Hudson: 97
• Hunterdon: 14 pic.twitter.com/ZNfyLWO6gS— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 21, 2020
The order prohibits all gatherings of individuals, such as parties, celebrations, or other social events, unless otherwise authorized by the order. When in public, individuals must practice social distancing and stay at least six feet apart whenever possible, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners.
The order does not exclude weddings and funerals.
Governor Murphy’s Executive Order further directs the closure of all non-essential retail businesses to the public, with the exceptions of:
• Grocery stores, farmer’s markets and farms that sell directly to customers, and other food stores, including retailers that offer a varied assortment of foods comparable to what exists at a grocery store;
• Pharmacies and medical marijuana dispensaries;
• Medical supply stores;
• Gas stations;
• Convenience stores;
• Ancillary stores within healthcare facilities;
• Hardware and home improvement stores;
• Banks and other financial institutions;
• Laundromats and dry-cleaning services;
• Stores that principally sell supplies for children under five years;
• Pet stores;
• Liquor stores;
• Car dealerships, but only for auto maintenance and repair, and auto mechanics;
• Printing and office supply shops;
• Mail and delivery stores.
The order mandates that all businesses or non-profits, wherever practicable, must accommodate their workforce for telework or work-from-home arrangements. To the extent a business or non-profit has employees that cannot perform their functions via telework or work-from-home arrangements, the business or non-profit should make best efforts to reduce staff on site to the minimal number necessary to ensure that essential operations can continue.
Examples of employees who need to be present at their worksite in order to perform their job duties include, but are not limited to, law enforcement officers, firefighters, other first responders, cashiers or store clerks, construction workers, utility workers, repair workers, warehouse workers, lab researchers, IT maintenance workers, janitorial and custodial staff, and certain administrative staff.
The Order continues existing bans on recreational and entertainment businesses, requirements that all restaurants operate by delivery and takeout only, and the directive that all pre-K, elementary, and secondary schools close and all institutions of higher education cease in-person instruction.
For additional information on COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus and its impact on businesses, please visit the State of New Jersey business portal at https://cv.business.nj.gov.
