Face Mask Order Lifted: What You Can Do Now Amid COVID In NJ

NEW JERSEY - Friday is set to be one of New Jersey’s largest pandemic-related reopening dates yet, with areas such as entertainment, sports and personal gatherings set to see loosened restrictions and the face mask order lifted.

At the same time, Gov. Phil Murphy said on CNBC on Friday that the possibility of reimposing restrictions if the coronavirus somehow re-emerges remains "on the table" despite the success of the vaccinations.

"We have to remember that the virus dictates the terms here and not us and you have to leave that option on the table," he said on CNBC.

Starting on Friday, people in New Jersey will be allowed to enter retail stores, restaurants, entertainment venues and more without face masks or social distancing in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Outdoor venues – including those that can accommodate over 1,000 people, such as MetLife Stadium and minor league baseball parks – may also reopen to full capacity.

And very soon, more reopenings will arrive. Effective June 4th, indoor gathering and capacity limits will be lifted.

Murphy celebrated the big day in an appearance on CNBC on Friday, saying the improving metrics and increased vaccinations over the past two weeks make this "the right moment" to ditch masks.

He also defended his decision to wait two weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended lifting mask orders, saying: "Every single day you can buy, you get better heath metrics. And in this case, every single day you can buy, you can get more people vaccinated."

In those two weeks, Murphy said, New Jersey managed to get 20,000 to 30,000 shots in arms every day.

He also said it's still "too early to tell" and officially say whether kids will be wearing masks in school in the fall, although he expects they will do so to start the year.

Here’s where certain areas of life in New Jersey are starting to open up - and what’s to come for the future:

Face masks and social distancing

Starting Friday, people will be permitted to enter restaurants, stores and other indoor spaces in New Jersey without face coverings. Friday will also see the lift of the 6-foot social distancing requirement in all indoor and outdoor settings, including in:

• Retail stores
• Personal care services
• Gyms
• Recreational and entertainment businesses
• Casinos
• Religious services
• Political activities
• Weddings
• Funerals
• Memorial services
• Commercial gatherings
• Catered events
• Sports competitions
• Performances

Businesses can continue to require social distancing should they choose.

Spaces where masks will continue to be required include health care and long-term care facilities, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, public transit (airplanes, buses, trains), transit hubs (airports, bus and train stations), public-facing state offices such as Motor Vehicle Commission agencies, and warehousing and manufacturing facilities.

The executive order also won't immediately extend to youth summer camps, preschools, elementary schools and secondary schools (including charter and renaissance schools).

"This is for a simple reason: Children under the age of 12 are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, and while we're making very good progress with the 12-to-15-year cohort, they've only been eligible … for less than two weeks. For these younger populations, we're just not there yet," the governor said. Read more: Masks In NJ Schools: Here's Who May Be Wearing Them In The Fall

And although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only recommends that vaccinated people may toss their face masks and stop adhering to social distancing guidelines, Murphy said the state is asking people for "personal responsibility” when it comes to masking up.

The governor also noted that those who may feel more comfortable wearing face masks either indoors or outdoors may continue to do so. However, while businesses can choose to continue to implement social distancing and face mask policies, they cannot implement policies barring individuals from wearing masks if they choose to.

"No one should mistake lifting the indoor mask mandate as meaning you cannot wear a mask indoors. You certainly may. There is nothing wrong with being cautious when it comes to your own health and that of your family and community. To be equally sure, we will not tolerate anyone being demeaned or bullied or excluded for wanting to continue to mask up … there will be consequences for 'mask-free shopping hours' and not allowing in people who do wear a mask. That will not be tolerated."

Workplaces and child care

New Jersey employers will no longer be required to keep their offices staffed at a minimum level or accommodate remote work now that the state continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, child care limits are being returned to their pre-pandemic levels immediately, giving parents who are being called back to office work a place for their children to go, Murphy said Wednesday during his coronavirus press conference.

The executive order relaxing workplace rules takes effect June 4.

Under the order, employers will be able to allow employees who can verify they are vaccinated to forgo masks in the office. The goal is to give private employers more flexibility as they return to more normal business operations, Murphy said.

State employees will continue to be required to mask up, Murphy said.

Dining, commercial and private gatherings

Capacity limits at restaurants, stores, offices, theaters, houses of worship, pools, hair salons, gyms and amusement parks have been lifted as of May 19th, as have outdoor gathering capacity limits, including parties and private events.

The indoor gathering limit for political gatherings, weddings, funerals, memorial services, performances, and other catered and commercial events, which is currently at 250 people, will be removed by June 4th. General indoor gathering capacities are currently capped at 50 people, set to be lifted entirely by June 4th.

Dance floors at bars and restaurants will also be reopened on June 4th. Dance floors reopened at private catered events (including weddings and school proms) with mask-wearing and social distancing in place earlier in May.

The restrictions on self-service food, such as buffets, at restaurants have been lifted since May 7, as well as the prohibition on indoor bar-side seating.

Travel

Domestic travel is allowed for fully vaccinated individuals, as is international travel, according to the CDC.

In both cases, residents are not required to receive tests before and after travel. However, if you are only partially vaccinated, the CDC advises that you should not travel at all.

In the Garden State, fully vaccinated people no longer need to quarantine or test negative for domestic travel. Self-quarantines remain voluntary, but officials expect compliance.

Those who are fully vaccinated also don't need to get tested before departing unless their destination requires it, the CDC says. But they still need to show a negative test result or documentation of COVID-19 recovery before boarding an international flight to the United States.

"If your goal is international travel, recognize that the COVID reality in other nations is much different than here, and (please) adhere to the travel guidance and advisories posted by the U.S. Department of State," Murphy said.

Entertainment, nightclubs and sports

Outdoor venues – including those that can accommodate over 1,000 people, such as MetLife Stadium and minor league baseball parks – may reopen to full capacity starting Friday. The 30 percent capacity limit at indoor venues will be lifted starting Friday, June 4.

"So if the [New Jersey] Devils had a game on June 4, could they sell out? The answer is yes," Murphy said.

Those who are not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to follow CDC guidance and wear a face mask in any indoor public setting, Murphy said. He also clarified that, while businesses asking for proof of COVID-19 vaccinations are not in violation of HIPAA laws, the increased vaccination rates in the state have not swayed his previous concerns about potential vaccine passports required to access certain areas of life.

"I'm open-minded to them, but there are huge equity challenges that we're still dealing with," Murphy said. "We're making a good amount of progress, but we're not there yet. If you magically put a vaccine passport into place today, even if you wouldn't be intending to, you would be discriminating."

Just over 4.1 million people in New Jersey are fully vaccinated, while another 4.6 million people have been partially vaccinated. The Garden State needs a total of 4.7 million fully vaccinated by the end of June to meet its goal of vaccinating 70 percent of adults.