NJ rolls back limit for indoor gatherings to 25 from 100
NEW JERSEY - The restriction on the number of people who can lawfully gather indoors was rolled back Monday in New Jersey as the state continues to see an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases.
"Until further notice, indoor gatherings are now limited to 25 percent of a room’s capacity – with a maximum of 25 persons, down from 100," said Gov. Phil Murphy. "To be clear, this tightening caps indoor house parties at 25 people – period."
Exceptions will be allowed for funerals, memorial services, religious and political activities as protected under the First Amendment.
The positivity rate in New Jersey stands at 1.48 percent compared to one month ago where it stood at 0.87 percent.
"We believe that some of this increase is attributable to the number of indoor house parties we’ve been seeing across the state. Indoor gatherings are not safe," said Murphy.
Outdoor gatherings are limited to 500 people.
During his briefing on the pandemic, Murphy also announced that the NJ Dept. of Education would release a checklist for schools regarding reopening. All students and staff will be required to wear face masks inside a school regardless of social distancing. Certain health conditions could exclude a person from wearing a mask.
To date, 13,971 people in the state have died from COVID-19. As many as 1,875 probable deaths are also reported.