New Jersey Business Owners Bracing For Tightened Restrictions As COVID-19 Cases Continue To Climb Statewide
ASBURY PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- More than 2,200 new positive coronavirus cases and 13 deaths were reported in New Jersey on Friday.
Gov. Phil Murphy has warned statewide restrictions may be needed to stop the spread of COVID-19 as numbers continue to escalate.
RELATED STORY: Gov. Murphy Sounds Alarm In New Jersey, Says Restrictions Could Come Soon If COVID-19 Positivity Rate Doesn't Come Down
"We're working on making sure that we've got a right balance between strategic scalpel-like actions and some broader actions that we will almost certainly take sooner than later," Murphy said.
The governor has yet to outline what statewide actions he may take, but he has said all options are on the table.
The scalpel-like method refers to places like Newark, where the city instituted curfews, shutting down indoor dining and bars at 8 p.m.
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The business community in Asbury is anxious that may be the method the governor uses statewide.
"None of know whether we should order food. Are they gonna shut us down? I have a daughter who's 16 years old and she keeps waiting for them to tell her to stop going to school," Amy Russo, owner of Toast City Diner in Asbury Park, told CBS2's Meg Baker.
The owner of Ada's Gojjo says an early curfew would take away dinner customers, her bread and butter.
"It'd affect us, big time," she said.
So how are they preparing?
"Hurry up and wait and, you know, pray for good weather because I think he'll leave our outdoor dining alone," Russo said.
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Democratic State Sen. Vin Gopal doesn't expect the restrictions to be drastic.
"I think that, from what I understand, the administration is gonna roll out some things as relates to Plexiglass, making sure there's, you know, no crowding happening around bars," he said.
Gopal says he's also working on getting funding for small businesses for more outdoor heaters so they can keep seating people outside as we head into the winter months.
The governor has also said in previous days that he would keep the indoor dining cap at 25% and not further restrict it.
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