NJ announces dates for reopenings of childcare, sports, camps, horse racing, houses of worship

NEW JERSEY - More parts of the New Jersey economy will be allowed to reopen next month.  New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced several reopening dates Friday for activities and organizations that have been shut down to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Beginning June 15, childcare services can resume in the Garden State. Non-contact, organized sports can resume outdoors beginning on June 22. Youth day camps and municipal summer recreation programs can begin July 6. 

Competitive horse racing can begin next weekend.

"At this time, we will not be able to allow fans back into our racetrack grandstands," said Murphy during his daily briefing. "Online gaming remains open and capable of taking your wagers."

The limit on the number of people who can gather inside houses of worship is expected to be increased beginning June 12.

The state's coronavirus outbreak trends are heading in the right direction, the Democratic governor said, leading him to loosen the two-month-old stay-at-home order.

Further guidance regarding health and safety standards during the reopening process would be released by the Departments of Health and Children and Families.

The governor also announced that there were 1,117 new cases of coronavirus in the state and that 131 people had reported having died from coronavirus in the past 24 hours.