In an attempt to further flatten the curve of new COVID-19 cases in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy placed additional restrictions on essential retail businesses — including the mandated use of masks for employees as well as customers.
Murphy on Thursday signed Executive Order 122, which also orders all non-essential construction projects to cease.
“We must continue to work together to flatten the curve of new COVID-19 cases in New Jersey,” said Murphy in a press release. “By ceasing all non-essential construction projects and imposing additional mitigation requirements on essential businesses, we are furthering our aggressive efforts to enforce social distancing and limiting our public interactions to only the most essential in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
Among the restrictions is a mandate for all employees on premises to wear gloves and a mask or cloth face covering, which the business owner needs to provide. Customers who do not cover their faces should not be allowed entry, unless the business sells food or medicine, in which case the business should provide another way to pick up or deliver its goods.
Businesses also need to demarcate increments of 6 feet near checkout areas and provide signage reminding customers to maintain adequate social distance. Physical barriers should be installed between cashiers and customers to keep them separate until the moment of payment (which should be contactless, if possible) and exchange of goods.
And stores should limit their capacity to 50% or less, until further notice.
In addition, all non-essential construction, which is defined in the order, needs to cease by 8pm on April 10.
View the full text of Order 122 here.
