By Ted Sherman and Payton Guion, NJ Advance Media
In the wake of the break-up of two Orthodox weddings in Lakewood by police earlier this week, Gov. Phil Murphy said the state intends to “aggressively enforce” restrictions on large gatherings — a ban sparked by the spreading coronavirus outbreak.
“We have to cut the crap,” Murphy said, echoing the language of a reporter’s question at Thursday’s daily briefing on current coronavirus situation in New Jersey.
Referring to the widely reported incident involving the nuptials in Lakewood on Tuesday, the governor said “we simply cannot have this. We have got to ensure compliance, no matter what the circumstances are.”
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Restrictions on gatherings larger than 50 people, mandated under a governor’s executive order, “has to be enforced,” Murphy said. “It will be enforced aggressively.”
Officers in Lakewood had responded to the separate wedding celebrations — one at Fountain Ballroom on Vassar Avenue and the other at Lake Terrace on Oak Street — and told venue staff that gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited, said Lakewood Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith. The workers and guests then dispersed.
Meanwhile, rumors spreading through the Orthodox community yesterday have suggested as many as 40 now may have coronavirus — a claim that state officials said they could not corroborate.
“We don’t have any insight on that,” said the governor of the claim, reported on a local website. “There was a rumor that 100 people were exposed. We cannot confirm that.”
Murphy added “there’s an enormous amount going around on social media.” Often, he said, it’s not tied down to the actual facts.”
Ocean County health officials did not have updated numbers out of Lakewood at mid-afternoon. The most recent official health department numbers show four people have so far tested positively for COVID-19 in Lakewood.
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