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These are the current New Jersey coronavirus guidelines

We’ve broken down New Jersey’s reopening info to give you an overview of what’s allowed across the state.

Here are the current coronavirus guidelines for New Jersey.
Here are the current coronavirus guidelines for New Jersey.Read moreALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer
    by Grace Dickinson
    Updated 
    Published 

Keeping up with pandemic guidelines is a marathon. And there are a ton of rules and regulations to sift through. So we’ve broken down New Jersey’s reopening info to give you an overview of what’s allowed across the state.

Although many earlier restrictions have been lifted, the risk of the coronavirus remains. Most businesses can now reopen if they follow coronavirus mitigation requirements, but experts advise continued caution. Guidelines are also expected to continue to evolve. Check back for updates, and for the latest information, COVID-19 case numbers, and full details on rules and regulations, visit covid19.nj.gov.

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What are the COVID-19 restrictions in New Jersey?

General guidelines

  1. 😷 + 🏠 Wearing a mask is required in indoor spaces open to the public, including retail, recreational, and entertainment businesses, government buildings, and on public transportation.

  2. 😷 + 🏢 Wearing a mask is required in indoor commercial spaces closed to the public, including office buildings, when individuals are in prolonged proximity to others.

  3. 😷 + 🌳 Wearing a mask is required in outdoor public spaces when social distancing is not possible.

  4. ↔️ You must practice social distancing (6+ feet) with those outside of your household

  5. 🏠 Teleworking, or remote work, is still encouraged when possible.

Social gatherings

  1. 👥 + 🏠 Social gatherings (indoors): 10 people or fewer

  2. 👥 + 🌳 Social gatherings (outdoors): 25 people or fewer

  3. 📋 Full Guidelines for social gatherings

Dining

  1. 🍽 + 🌳 + 👥 Maximum of 8 customers per table, unless from an immediate family or the same household; tables must be spaced at least 6 feet apart

  2. 🍽 +🌳 + 🌤 Areas with a fixed roof, if two sides are open, comprising over 50% of their total wall space, qualify as outdoor dining.

  3. 🍽 +🏠 Dining (indoor): 25% capacity

  4. 🍽 +🏠 + 👥 Maximum of 8 customers per table, unless from an immediate family or the same household

  5. 🍽️ + 😷 Masks are required except when eating or drinking at your table

  6. 🍽 +🏠 + 🕙 Indoor areas must be closed for business by 10 p.m. and can’t reopen until 5 a.m. the following day

📋 Full guidelines for dining here

Entertainment (movie theaters and indoor performance venues)

  1. 🎥 🎶 25% capacity with a maximum of 150 people

  2. 👥 + ↔️ Groups that buy tickets together can sit together, but must be at least 6 feet apart from all other groups

  3. 📋 Full guidelines for movie theaters and indoor performance venues

Museums and cultural venues

  1. 🖼 25% capacity with a maximum of 150 people

  2. 📋 Full guidelines for museums and cultural venues

Shopping malls and retail businesses

  1. 🛍 50% capacity

  2. 🕘 Stores must operate exclusive hours for high-risk individuals

  3. 📋 Full guidelines for shopping malls and retail businesses

Sports (school sports, youth and adult recreational sports, and professional sports)

  1. 🏀 🤸‍♀️ Limit of 10 people for college and professional indoor practices and competitions; if a sport needs more than 10 people, including players, coaches, and referees, the limit can be exceeded but no spectators are allowed; limited to 25% capacity, with a maximum of 150 people

  2. 🏀 🚫 Indoor interstate youth sports competitions

  3. 🌳 +⚽️ + 👥 Outdoor sports are allowed; A maximum of 25 spectators can attend games and practices.

  4. 😷 Staff, parents, guardians, and visitors are required to wear masks at practices and games. Athletes are encouraged to wear masks during downtime, but not during physical activity.

  5. 🏅 Sports under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) must also follow those associations' rules.

  6. 👹 Professional sports teams that train or play in New Jersey can practice and engage in games or matches, if their leagues resume competition.

  7. 📋 Full guidelines for sports

Gyms and fitness centers

  1. 🏋🏾 25% capacity

  2. 👥 + ↔️ Group activities must follow indoor social gathering guidelines (see above) with a maximum capacity of one individual per 200 square feet of accessible space or less; all individuals must maintain 6 feet of distance from others during the entire class.

  3. 📑 Guests (and employees) must complete a questionnaire and be screened for illness upon entry.

  4. 🚿 Locker rooms can only be used for hand washing and using the restroom, except in gyms with pools, where showers are allowed but must be individually sectioned showers or communal showers with installed barriers/partitions.

  5. 🏊🏿‍♀️ Indoor pools must be limited to 25% capacity, and lap swimming is restricted to one direction per lane or one swimmer per lane.

  6. 📋 Full guidelines for gyms, fitness centers, and pools

Health and wellness (spas, barbershops, hair and nail salons, saunas, tattoo parlors, massage therapists, and other personal care service businesses)

  1. 💇🏻 25% maximum capacity, excluding employees

  2. 🌡 Guests (and employees) must be screened for illness upon entry.

  3. 💇🏻 💇🏿‍♂️Customers must enter by appointment only.

  4. 📋 Full guidelines for health and wellness facilities

Recreational businesses (arcades, bowling alleys, batting cages, arts and crafts studios, and other recreational venues)

  1. 🎳🕹🎨 25% capacity for indoor venues

  2. 🕹🌡 Arcade guests (and employees) must be screened for illness upon entry.

  3. 📋 Full guidelines for recreational businesses and additional guidelines for arcades

Religious institutions

  1. 🛐 + 🏠 Indoor gatherings for religious activities must be limited to 25% capacity with a maximum of 150 people.

  2. 🛐 + 🌳 There is no limit for outdoor religious gatherings.

  3. 📋 Full guidelines for religious institutions

Weddings, funerals, and memorial services

  1. 👥 + 🏠 25% capacity with a maximum of 150 people for indoor events

  2. 🕺🏻🚫 No dance floors.

  3. 👥 + 🌳 There is no capacity limit for outdoor wedding ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, religious activities, or political activities.

  4. 📋 Full guidelines for wedding venues and funeral and memorial services

Libraries

  1. 📚+ 🏠 25% capacity

  2. 📋 Full guidelines for libraries

Casinos

  1. 🎰 25% capacity, not including employees

  2. 📑 Guests must complete a COVID-19 questionnaire upon entering.

  3. 🕺🏽💃🏿 Indoor showrooms and nightclubs must remain closed.

  4. ↔️ There must be one empty position between a single guest and another unrelated guest at table games and gaming machines.

  5. 📋 Full guidelines for casinos

Playgrounds, amusement parks, and water parks

  1. 🎢 + 💦 + 🎈+ 🌳 50% capacity for outdoor areas

  2. 🎢 + 💦 + 🏠 25% capacity for indoor areas

  3. 🌡 Guests (and employees) must be screened for illness upon entry.

  4. 🎢 + 💦 + ↔️ Seating on amusement rides must be adjusted to ensure social distancing.

  5. 📋 Full guidelines for playgrounds, amusement parks, and water parks

Note: The above provides an overview of the guidelines in New Jersey. For more details and a comprehensive report on rules and regulations, visit covid19.nj.gov/pages/reopen.