Gov. Phil Murphy announced today that New Jersey will move to stage two of its re-opening from the novel coronavirus COVID-19 on Monday, June 15, and it will be welcome news for Verona restaurants with outdoor spaces, and Verona retailers and beauty businesses.
On June 15, restaurants will be able to welcome diners to outdoor spaces and retail stores that had been deemed non-essential will be able to welcome customers back inside. The following Monday, June 22, salons and barbershops will be able to serve their clients again.
As for Verona’s gyms, no good news yet. “I would hope sooner than later following those openings our gyms and health clubs will again, provide spaces for residents to work out,” Murphy said at his press conference, “albeit at reduced capacity so we’re going to come back to you with a specific date.”
Some Verona restaurants already have outdoor patios for dining, including Avenue Bistro, Ariane Kitchen & Bar, Grimaldi’s, the Verona Inn, Frank Anthony’s and Blue Hippo. For the rest help may be on the way. Township officials are weighing ideas that could include a relaxation of Verona’s sidewalk dining rules or allowing dining in other outdoor spaces such as parking lots, as well as an outdoor food and retail marketplace in the Civic Center drive in front of the municipal building and H.B. Whitehorne Middle Schools.
The governor’s announcement offered little in the way of specifics, which Verona businesses have said they need. So hair salons and barbershops will likely need to await guidance from the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. He made no mention of any change to maximum crowd size, which was recently raised to 25 from 10.
Last week, the state also announced that child care centers, youth day camps and organized sports could re-open as of June 15, and that youth day camps can open on or after July 6. All must comply with COVID-19-specific health and safety standards.
The governor continued to urge caution as businesses re-open. “Just because the calendar says June 15 doesn’t mean that everyone should just go back to what they were doing and the way they were doing it, pre-COVID,” he said. “Those businesses whose workers can work from home will be expected to keep their workers at home as one example. Again, let’s use common sense for the common good. Only a successful stage two can get us to stage three. Social distancing will continue to be the watchwords.”
