New Jersey gov. Phil Murphy has announced that a mandatory curfew has been placed for all movie theaters, gyms, and casinos in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. According to the curfew, as of March 16, all these establishments are to close at 8 p.m and will remain close until further notice to protect against the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the curfew, Restaurants and bars will no longer be allowed to accept dine-in customers after 8 p.m., but will still be permitted to offer takeout and delivery. The establishment will be provided a waiver for carry-out alcohol, officials said.NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said the following in a statement, “We have agreed (New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont) to a common set of rules that will pertain in all of our states, so don’t even think about going to a neighboring state,” he continued, “If you can’t do a party in New York City, you can’t do a party in New Jersey, you can’t do a party in Connecticut.”
The news comes after the announcement that public gatherings of more than 50 people are to be banned, this is something that Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted about a few days ago.
BREAKING: Today, I am recommending the cancellation of all public gatherings of 250+ people, including parades, concerts, and sporting events.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 12, 2020
Social distancing works. This is our best chance to mitigate the chance of exposure & rapid spread of #COVID19.https://t.co/AKOFRSvkQF pic.twitter.com/uFVplz6L3y
Murphy said supermarkets and pharmacies will not be affected, and that more New Jersey restrictions will be announced later Monday. Following the patterns set by other states, the announcements should involve the closing of public and private schools. New Jersey has seen at least 112 confirmed coronavirus cases, including two deaths while New York has the most cases of any U.S. stater. The story is still developing, and we will be updating as soon as more news becomes available.