NJ Allows More Inside Houses Of Worship To Open Amid COVID-19

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Murphy announced on Monday that all New Jersey houses of worship can immediately operate at 50 percent capacity.

Currently, all religious services, wedding services and funerals were limited to 35 percent capacity, with no more than 150 people inside the house of worship at one time.

Now, there also will be no cap on the number of people – as long as the house of worship operates at 50 percent capacity.

"As our numbers continue to decline, we believe we can safely take this step," said Murphy at his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. "It is important to remember that masks will continue to be required, unless they are briefly removed (for taking communion, for example)."

Six-foot social distancing will also still be required inside, he said.

Monday was a big day for New Jersey's reopening process: On that same day, Murphy announced that fans can now return to professional sporting events and indoor concerts, with 10 percent allowed indoors at concerts, Rutgers games and New Jersey Devils games, effective March 1. Parents can also now watch their kids play sports at both the high school and college level.

"As numbers continue to go down we hope to, and expect, be able to raise these capacity limits as we approach the summer and fall," said Murphy.

As of Monday, New Jersey had administrated 1.6 million total vaccine doses. Many of last week's backlogged supply of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are expected to arrive Monday, said the governor.

The coronavirus rate of transmission is also .86, and has been below 1 for some time now, said Murphy, as the state appears to be witnessing the end of the second wave.

"The picture emerging from our hospitals is also continually improving," he said, as there are currently 438 patients in ICUs all across New Jersey, with 289 on a ventilator.

Related: NJ To Open Up Sports, Entertainment Venues Amid COVID

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