Outdoor COVID-19 Dining Rules Set for New Jersey

New Jersey’s Department of Health released the rules for outdoor dining in the state starting June 15.

Along with the guidance, Gov. Phil Murphy at his daily briefing June 3 announced the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control will be issuing a special ruling to allow liquor license-holders to apply for a one-time permit through mid-October to expand their premises for service.

The governor was supportive of ideas of having restaurants creating outdoor spaces where they did not have before, including parking lots, streets and sidewalks as long as it complies with local ordinances and received municipal approval. 

Local Rule

“We recognize that municipal officials closest to the ground are in the best position to make decisions that are both equitable and practicable within their communities,” he said.

The governor announced outdoor dining and indoor, non-essential retail will open June 15 on June 1. Hair salons and barber shops will be able to accept customers at their locations the following week. Dates were not given for gyms and health clubs.

The guidance from the Department of Health for outdoor dining requires posting signage at the entrance starting that no one with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19 should enter the establishment; limits seating to a maximum of eight customers per table; eliminates self-service options such as buffets, salad bars, and drink stations; and install physical barriers and partitions at cash registers, bars, host stands and other areas where maintaining physical distance of six feet is difficult.

Employee, Customer Rules

Employees requirements include conducting daily health checks of employees, such as temperature screenings; sending employees home with COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath); and requires all employees to wear face coverings and gloves when in contact with customers and when handing or serving food, utensils, and other items to customers. 

Outside dining establishments are to encourage reservations for greater control of customer traffic/volume; customers are to provide a phone number to facilitate contact tracing; and customers are to wait in their cars or away from establishment while waiting for a table if the outdoor wait area cannot accommodate social distancing. 

Capacity for outdoor gatherings is currently set at 25, while limited to 10 for indoor gatherings remain capped at 10.

Daily Data

As of June 3, the cumulative number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey reached 162,068 with 652 new cases and 112 new deaths, bringing that total to 11,880. 

Of the total deaths in North Jersey, Essex County has the most with 1,687, followed by Bergen at 1,595, Hudson with 1,192, Passaic at 940, Morris at 619, Sussex at 149 and Warren with 132. 

State Testing 

The daily rate of infections from those tested as of May 30 rested at 4.3%. The state is no longer using serology tests as health officials explained those results show a past presence of the disease as well as a current one. By region, the north tested at 3.4%, the central at 4.2% and the south 5.9% on approximately 31,000.

Officials reported 2,250 patients are hospitalized with coronavirus—which included 107 new hospitalizations—while 193 patients were discharged. The north tier had 1,054 patients hospitalized, the central 667 and the south 529.

The daily discharge and new hospitalizations by tier for June 3 was the north charted one hospitalization and 87 discharges, the central having 66 hospitalizations and 43 discharges, and the south reporting 42 hospitalizations and 63 discharges.   

Of those hospitalized, 612 are in intensive care units and 459 on ventilators, the fifth consecutive day ventilators in use was below 500. There are currently 21 patients in field hospitals, with 471 treated overall. 

Hudson Tops County Count

Hudson has the most cumulative cases in the state with 18,460, followed by Bergen at 18,376, Essex at 17,811, Passaic at 16,277, Middlesex at 16,066, Union at 15,911, Ocean at 8,853, Monmouth at 8,332, Mercer at 7,033, Camden at 6,645, Morris at 6,540, Burlington at 4,700, Somerset at 4,619, Cumberland at 2,431, Atlantic at 2,284, Gloucester at 2,278, Warren at 1,182, Sussex at 1,128, Hunterdon at 1,006, Salem at 653 and Cape May at 629.

Another 854 cases are still under investigation to determine where the person resides.

Demographic Breakdown

The racial breakdown of the record deaths was 53% White, 19% Black, 19% Hispanic, 5% Asian and 3% another race. Murphy has noted the rates in the black and Hispanic communities are running about 50% more than their population in the state. 

In regards to the underlying disease of those who have passed, 59% had cardiovascular disease, 43% diabetes, 32% other chronic diseases, 17% neurological conditions, 15% chronic renal disease, 10% cancer and 14% other.

A census of ages for 9,941 confirmed deaths shows 47% of deaths are of those 80 year old and up, 33% in the range of 65-80, 16% between 50-65 and 4% under the age of 49. 

Long-term Care Facilities

Health officials noted 545 long-term care facilities are reporting at least one case of COVID-19 and accounted for 33,626 of the cases, broken down between 22,575 residents and 11,051 staff. The state’s official death total will now be reported as those that are lab confirmed, which was 5,076 on June 3. The facilities are reporting to the state 6,020 residents deaths and 110 staff deaths. 

In a by-county breakdown:  

Bergen County

• 63  Facilities with Outbreaks
• 3141 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 1613 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 906  Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
• 10  Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities

Essex County

• 46  Facilities with Outbreaks
• 2116 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 980 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 555  Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
• 19  Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities

Morris County  

• 42  Facilities with Outbreaks
• 1370 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 663 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 453  Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
• 5  Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities

Passaic County 

• 25  Facilities with Outbreaks
• 1160 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 683 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 359  Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
• 13  Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities

Hudson County 

• 15  Facilities with Outbreaks
• 988 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 507 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 232  Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
• 7  Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities

Sussex County 

• 7  Facilities with Outbreaks
• 250 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 135 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 106  Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
• 4  Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities

Warren County 

• 7  Facilities with Outbreaks
• 405 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 127 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities 
• 111  Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
• 1  Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities