By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday announced he’s putting New Jersey into a virtual lockdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus, ordering New Jerseyans to stay at home except for necessary trips and mandating that non-essential retail businesses closed until further notice and others have people work from home.
The measures will go into effect 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,” Murphy said during a news briefing at Rutgers-Newark. “Just as it is no time to panic, it is time to be smart, transparent, aggressive.
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The governor said essential workers, such as emergency responders and health-care employees, are allowed to travel. And the general public can still go outdoors for exercise.
Businesses allowed to open include 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.
Other businesses should allow people to work from home, if possible, the governor said.
Restaurants, bars, and liquor stores that provide takeout can remain open. Construction sites will not be closed.
Murphy said people can assume most retail is non-essential. “And we mean it,” he said.
The governor 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 the way we are accustomed to,” the governor said. ”Our singular goal is to make sure we get through this emergency so you can safely gather with family and friends later and enjoy many more wedding and birthdays to come.”
Murphy also said he wants people off the roads for non-essential travel 24 hours. He noted health workers, media, law enforcement, and federal officials who need to travel are exempt.
“We expect people to stay home,” Murphy said. “We want you off the roads. That’s now 24 hours. We don’t want you out there. Period.”
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On those who may violate his orders, Murphy said: “If folks are monkeying around, we will take action.”
The governor also said people should not go to homes at the Jersey Shore.
“The local infrastructure, especially in offseason, is not prepared for the influx of part-time residents,” Murphy said.
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.”
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.”
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 and called on people to stay home if they can.
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 is set to stop 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.”
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.”
The state has not released how many negative tests have come back or how many people have recovered from the virus, which causes the illness COVID-19.
New Jersey opened its first state-run coronavirus testing site, at Bergen Community College in Paramus, on Friday. Thousands of people showed up, and the line was halted around noon. Testing resumed there Saturday at 8 a.m.
A second, similar site, at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, is set to open Monday.
The state on Saturday also announced a new website for information and answers on the state’s response to the virus: covid19.nj.gov/.
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