Gov. Murphy To Reopen NJ Dining, Gyms, Hair Salons In Coronavirus

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy, speaking during a Monday news conference, said he plans to open gyms, hair and nail salons, barber shops, indoor retail and outdoor dining in New Jersey as he moves to his reopening plan's "stage two." Murphy made the move as he announced 509 new coronavirus cases and 27 more deaths (you can watch it here, below).

The update comes as the number of cases risen to 160,918, and 11,721 people have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Here is what Murphy said will happen:

• Outdoor dining and indoor retail will reopen on Monday, June 15
• Hair and nail salons and barber shops will reopen on Monday, June 22
• Gyms and health clubs will reopen "soon after," all at reduced capacity. Murphy said he wasn't ready to provide a date just yet.

"We believe we're acting responsibly given the severity of this pandemic and the tremendous toll its taken on our state," Murphy said.

Murphy said he planned to provide guidance for reopening these "stage two" portions of New Jersey economy later in the week. But he did provide some tips.

Murphy said social distancing will still be an important part of the plan, as well as mask-wearing.

Murphy credited New Jerseyans and social distancing for bringing the state to this point, noting that New Jersey's daily numbers on Monday were among the lowest since early March.

"Every one of you has been very diligent as we act in these uncharted waters," he said.

Murphy pointed to graphs that showed the decline in cases:

Hospitalizations also have dramatically declined:

The reopenings are actually a continuing part of New Jersey's move to "stage-two" of New Jersey's economic restart plan that began on Friday.

On Friday, Murphy announced that he's allowing camps, child care, horse racing and organized sports to resume amid the coronavirus outbreak. Read more: Gov. Murphy: 'Hard Dates' For NJ Coronavirus Reopening (UPDATE)

Word of the reopenings, however, didn't appear to satisfy a number of business owners who say Murphy should have opened up earlier.

Several New Jersey gyms have defied Murphy's orders at times, and a number of them and other businesses organized a plan to do so on Monday, saying they can operate safely amid the coronavirus epidemic. Read more: 'Enough Is Enough:' Jersey Shore Gym Owner On Mass Reopening Plan

Watch Murphy here:

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.