New Jersey moves to drop many COVID-19 restrictions and reopen much of the state by summer

New Jersey will lift many coronavirus restrictions later this month, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday, removing limits on outdoor gatherings and allowing stores, restaurants, theaters, and other businesses to operate at full capacity as long as they keep patrons six feet apart.

That requirement will continue to limit occupancy inside many restaurants, as well as places like salons and gyms. And masks are still required when distancing is not possible.

But the news, coordinated with similar announcements by the leaders of New York state and Connecticut, represented the most significant step toward a return to normalcy since the state became one of the nation’s earliest battlegrounds for the virus. The restrictions will lift May 19, just over a week before Memorial Day weekend, the start of high season on the Jersey Shore and a widely watched economic engine for the state.

“The events that we all associate with a summer — from fireworks displays to parades to the state fair — can all go forward,” Murphy said at his regular coronavirus briefing, “as long as attendees are keeping six feet of distance.”

The news was cheered by many business owners, even if they wondered why it took so long.

“I have a lot of people now that want to eat inside,” said Cheryl Venezia, owner of Annette’s Restaurant, a breakfast and lunch spot in Ventnor, who kept her business afloat last year by transforming a parking lot into outdoor seating. “They’re not afraid anymore. They’re vaccinated. I think everyone’s ready to be open 100%, I really do.”

Murphy’s announcement marked a milestone for a state that has suffered the nation’s highest death rate from the pandemic. Almost 23,000 New Jerseyans have died from the virus, including about 7,900 residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities. On Monday the state surpassed one million reported cases.

For much of the last year, New Jersey trailed Pennsylvania in loosening business restrictions, and it was one of the last states in the country to reopen indoor dining last year. Restaurants in Pennsylvania are allowed to seat indoors at 75% capacity if other restrictions are followed. In Philadelphia, restaurants are allowed to serve indoor diners at 50% capacity.

New Jersey is averaging 1,614 new cases a day, down 52% compared with the average two weeks ago, according to an Inquirer analysis. Hospitalizations have dropped to the lowest levels since June. In Pennsylvania, cases are also plummeting, with an average of 3,226 a day.

» READ MORE: N.J. relaxes crowd restrictions as COVID-19 cases drop, vaccinations rise; providers resume Johnson & Johnson shots

Murphy has tied reopening to the pace of vaccinations and set a goal of vaccinating 4.7 million adults — about 70% of the adult population — by the end of June. More than 3.1 million New Jerseyans, or about half the eligible residents, are now fully vaccinated, and on Monday Murphy launched a public awareness campaign aimed at reaching the rest. The push includes an offer for a free beer from 12 breweries to those who roll up their sleeves and get a shot this month.

Under the rules taking effect May 19, large-scale indoor venues with 1,000 or more seats will be allowed to operate at 30% capacity, an increase from the current 10% limit. Outdoor large venues can operate at 33%. Conferences, trade shows, and similar events will be permitted to host up to 250 people, along with events like weddings and political activities. Indoor bar seating can return for the first time since early 2020.

Murphy said that if and when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revises its recommendation to maintain six feet of social distance, the state would follow suit.

For some Shore restaurant owners, the news brought relief. Kelsey Jackson, owner of Kelsey’s, a soul food restaurant and live music venue in Atlantic City, said that with limited capacity, the wait for a table at the Pacific Avenue destination has at times been as long as three hours.

Lifting of the prohibition on buffets was especially welcome at Kelsey’s, where pre-COVID, the popular brunch buffet served as many as 600 people on a busy Sunday. And Jackson was looking forward to bringing back the restaurant’s popular happy hour at the bar.

“Everybody missed that happy hour,” Jackson said. “We might do a grand reopening of the bar.”

Staffing has also been a problem. Jackson’s second location, Kelsey and Kim’s, has been takeout-only because Jackson has so far been unable to fully staff it.

Francesca Santoro, general manager of La Mer Beachfront Resort in Cape May, said she’s hiring for all positions.

“How long are we supposed to sustain ourselves?” Santoro said. “You can’t maximize revenue unless you have staff to do it. I hope people understand and are more patient.”

While the reopening is well-timed for the start of the summer season, she said she’s watched from afar as restaurants in wide-open states like Florida bustle with activity.

“We’ve missed out on that,” she said. “The limitations on the restaurants, and all the limitations throughout New Jersey, have really hurt businesses.”

Annette’s, like many Shore establishments, saw business increase in the offseason as people spent more time, or, in some cases, even moved to the Shore towns, which helped offset losses from the restrictions of last summer.

“We had a mobbed weekend this weekend, inside and out,” said Venezia, the owner.

Still, she said maintaining the requirement to keep groups six feet apart would be frustrating.

“You still can’t be 100% if you have to be six feet apart,” she said. “How can you be 100% and be six feet apart if you’re a small business? ... Is this going to be for the rest of our life?”

Staff writer Rob Tornoe contributed to this article.