New Jersey parks, golf courses can reopen Saturday, Murphy says
New Jersey's parks and golf courses, which shut down as the coronavirus pandemic crisis worsened, will be allowed to reopen this weekend, according to the governor.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Wednesday that he will sign an executive order to reopen state parks and allow golf courses and county parks to reopen at sunrise on Saturday, May 2. The governor said that social distancing rules will remain in effect.
Murphy's order means that the operators of golf courses and the county governments will have the option to reopen the courses and parks but have the option to keep them shuttered.
But all state parks and state-managed forests will open.
A trail at the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, N.J. It is part of of the Monmouth County Park System. (FOX 5 NY file)
The governor ordered state parks and forests to close on April 7 because authorities were reporting that a the glut of families, hikers, runners, nature lovers, and other fresh-air seekers made social distancing difficult, especially in the crowded parking lots and on narrow trails.
Through Thursday, New Jersey reported 116,264 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6,770 deaths related to the disease.
(New Jersey Governor's Office)