State moves to limit crowds amid COVID-19 outbreak

Amid a lack of federal direction and nationwide standards, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont today announced a regional approach to combatting the novel coronavirus - or COVID-19 - throughout the tri-state area, starting at 8 p.m. Monday

These uniform standards will limit crowd capacity for social and recreational gatherings to 50 people, effective 8 p.m. tonight. This follows updated guidance that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued yesterday recommending the cancellation or postponement of in-person events consisting of 50 people or more.

The three governors also announced restaurants and bars will close for on-premise service and move to take-out and delivery services only. These establishments will be provided a waiver for carry-out alcohol.

Finally, the three governors said they will temporarily close movie theaters, gyms and casinos.

This uniform approach to social distancing is meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

"With all we are seeing in our state - and across our nation and around the world - the time for us to take our strongest, and most direct, actions to date to slow the spread of coronavirus is now," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said. "I've said many times over the past several days that, in our state, we are going to get through this as one New Jersey family. But if we're all in this together, we must work with our neighboring states to act together. The work against coronavirus isn't just up to some of us, it's up to all of us."