Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled his six-point roadmap for reopening New Jersey for work, travel and recreation. It’s a whole-state — rather than regional — approach that sets no deadlines and emphasizes the governor’s message of putting public health and safety first. The foremost item on the list: a steady, 14-day downward trend in positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
“Before we can get ourselves on the road to recovery we need this curve to bend down and to stay down,” Murphy said. “If we let up even one bit with our aggressive social distancing measures too soon, even one day too soon, we can easily see ourselves skidding off this road.”
The road map calls for doubling testing capacity across the state, making it accessible to all residents, and requires a so-called army of up to 7,000 contact tracers who can track down those who interacted with infected persons. It also sets up safe spaces for people to self-quarantine. The state plans to stockpile ventilators and personal protective equipment against a renewed outbreak of COVID-19.
On Tuesday, Murphy will appoint a special commission to guide the economic restart. It will be focused at first on low-risk businesses, like manufacturing.
“I want, by the way, nothing more than to see every Main Street up and down the state filed with shoppers and diners once again. I want our construction sites roaring with activities once again. I want to see the shore humming throughout the summer. We will move as quickly as we can, but as safely as we must,” Murphy said.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo this weekend said he would consider reopening low-contact businesses like construction and manufacturing after May 15 in less-impacted areas upstate. He pledged a regional approach to reopening the area’s economy, especially downstate.
“Multi-state coordination is vital there because the New Jersey, Connecticut, New York City area is basically very intermixed, people are going and coming. They live in one place, they work in the other place,” Cuomo said.
Preliminary data in a new New Jersey Business and Industry Association members poll shows the majority of its business owners think they can open while abiding by CDC social distancing guidelines. But some say they won’t make it if only half their clients show up.
“Saying the economy is open is one thing, but seeing who shows up when the economy opens is another,” said Michele Siekerka, the group’s president and CEO. “People are still going to be spooked about going out. And whether they’re spooked for their own health, or they’re just not comfortable sitting in social settings for a long time, wearing masks and gloves, right? These are practical behavior issues that we have to address.”
Meanwhile, businesses in South Jersey and down the shore fear the lockdown could lock them out of a major chunk of their brief, three-month tourist season. Sen. Mike Testa envisions odd and even day beach tags and cleaning seats between each ride at amusement piers. He spoke with some Wildwood business owners who figure Memorial Day’s already lost.
“We can’t lose the summer. We have to get the summer because really from the end of June, July Fourth weekend, for the rest of the summer is absolutely necessary for these businesses to survive,” he said. “We need a regional approach to opening up. Right now, thank God, Legislative District 1 only has less than 1% of all COVID-19 positive cases in the state.”
Testa thinks that properly done, South Jersey can reopen without risking an outbreak. Statewide, officials still must grapple with when, or if, schools can reopen and how NJ Transit will cope with a returning workforce.
