Murphy orders N.J. residents to stay home, closes non-essential retail businesses in state lockdown to fight

Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday announced he’s putting New Jersey into near-lockdown mode to combat the spread of the coronavirus, ordering the state’s 9 million residents to stay at home except for necessary travel and mandating that non-essential retail businesses be closed until further notice.

The executive order allows other industries, such as manufacturing, trucking, construction, transportation, and health care, to stay open — though it calls for businesses to allow employees to work from home whenever possible.

The order also bans public gatherings in the state and seeks to keep most New Jersey residents off the roads at all times.

The measures will go into effect at 9 p.m. Saturday, Murphy said while announcing that the state now has 1,327 confirmed cases of the virus that has infected hundreds of thousands across the globe. There have now been 16 known deaths from the virus in New Jersey.

The governor said the actions are needed to limit human interaction in an effort to help slow the spread of the virus, which causes the illness COVID-19.

“We can no longer maintain a sense of business as usual during this emergency,” Murphy said during a news briefing at Rutgers-Newark. “Just as it is no time to panic, it is time to be smart, proactive, transparent, aggressive.”

“Any place people congregate is a place where coronavirus can be spread," he added. “This is no time for anyone to be acting selfishly and taking a gathering underground, but this is the time to think about your family, your friends, your neighbors and do the right thing.”

There are exceptions. You can still go outdoors for exercise and travel for necessary things, such as obtaining food or medicine, seeking medical attention, visiting family or close friends, or reporting to work for a business that is allowed to be open, according to the governor’s order.

When in public, people must practice social distancing by stay at least six feet apart from others, except “immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners,” the order says.

A number of retail businesses are allowed to remain open, including grocery stores, food banks, pharmacies, medical marijuana dispensaries, gas stations, auto mechanics and repair services, convenience stores, banks, hardware and home improvement stores, laundromats, dry cleaners, printing and office supply shops, pet stores, stores that sell supplies for young children, and mail and delivering shops.

Restaurants, bars, and liquor stores can remain open but are limited to offering takeout and delivery.

The governor’s office also said landscaping businesses and hotels are also allowed to stay open.

But Murphy said people can assume most retail is non-essential and thus will be closed. “And we mean it,” he said.

The following essential workers are still permitted to travel: emergency responders, health-care and medical employees, media members, federal officials, and those who work at places that serve low-income residents, such as food banks.

Other businesses should put policies in place to allow as many people work from home as possible, the governor said.

MORE: What is an essential retail business in N.J.? A list of places that can stay open in coronavirus shutdown.

The state’s website said manufacturing, industrial, logistics, ports, heavy construction, shipping, food production, food delivery, and other commercial operations may continue operating, but stressed they must keep staff at a minimal level on site to make sure “essential operations can continue.”

Medical facilities can continue to operate, including any one “where a sick or injured person is given care or treatment, such as: doctor’s offices, hospitals, dentist offices, long-term care facilities, and other medical offices.”

Veterinarians are also allowed to keep operating, the governor’s office said.

Children day care centers are permitted to stay open, too. Murphy has said that’s because many emergency and essential workers need a place to watch their kids.

The governor’s office said garbage and recycling collection will continue, as well. As will public transportation, though on modified schedules.

Murphy said he is also banning all public gatherings — which means no weddings, in-person services, or even parties.

This decision is not an easy one and it pains me that important life moments will not be celebrated in the way we are accustomed to," the governor said. “And I know this will be disappointing to many residents. But my singular goal — our singular goal, not to mention, frankly, my job — is to make sure we get through this emergency so that you can safely gather with family and friends later and enjoy many more birthdays and weddings in the years to come.”

Murphy said he wants people off the roads for non-essential travel 24 hours a day.

“We don’t want you out there. Period,” he said.

On those who may violate his orders, Murphy said: “If folks are monkeying around, we will take action.”

The governor didn’t provide specifics on what the penalties would be. But he has said in recent days that any businesses that don’t comply will be prosecuted for a disorderly person’s offense at the local level.

MORE: New Jersey lockdown rules: What residents need to know about stay-at-home order

Murphy also said people should not go to part-time residences at the Jersey Shore. Those whose primary residence is at the Shore can remain.

The local infrastructure, especially the health-care infrastructure and especially in the offseason is not prepared for the influx of part-time residents," he said. "So there’s absolutely no excuse for a party on the beach. Please stay at your primary residences.

When asked how long he expected his orders to remain in place Murphy said: “It’s somewhere measured in weeks to months. ... This is not next week. I wish it were.”

Murphy’s move follows similar stay-at-home orders in recent days by the governors of California, New York, and Connecticut.

Murphy had already indefinitely closed public schools, indoor malls, movie theaters, casinos, gyms, barbershops, salons, libraries and more across the state. He banned dine-in areas of restaurants and previously limited public gatherings to fewer than 50 people. Plus, he has strongly suggested that people refrain from non-essential travel in New Jersey between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.

But Murphy had allowed other retail businesses to remain open in recent days, as long as they adhere to social distancing guidelines and closed by 8 p.m.

That’s set to change Saturday night.

“Social distancing is the key to stopping this," state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said. "There’s nothing more sophisticated about it. We don’t have a vaccine.”

Murphy also signed a separate executive order clarifying that his new moves supersedes a swath of local orders that some municipalities have put in place in recent days to close businesses and restrict residents.

“We cannot have a patchwork of regulations that change from one town or one county to another,” Murphy said. “Folks’ hearts are in the right place. That’s not the question. But we have got to run this state with one set of rules.”

The governor also said he believes state officials acted as quickly as they could while also being responsible.

“Could we have done this yesterday? Yeah, we probably could have," he said. "But the fact of the matter is: I think we landed in a really good place of what we’re deeming essential and non-essential."

Murphy said the state reserves the right to make addition moves, though he said: “There’s not a whole lot more we can do, to be honest with you.”

The rash of closings is causing a string of lost jobs for workers and lost revenue for businesses across the state. Murphy said he and nearby states are asking the federal government for more than $100 billion in stimulus money to cover the costs.

“We have no choice,” Murphy said. “That economic impact will be overwhelming one way or the other. I’d prefer to take it now and I’d prefer to take it in concert with keeping deaths and sicknesses as low as possible.”

Officials expect the number of positive coronavirus tests in New Jersey to increase significantly in the coming days as testing expands and there is more evidence of “community spread.”

State officials have not released how many negative tests have come back or how many people have recovered from the virus.

The state also announced a new website for information and answers about the response to the virus: covid19.nj.gov/.

And read Murphy’s full 13-page order here.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

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