4 Things To Know As NJ Gets 'Closer To Restart' Amid Coronavirus

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy is starting to reveal what some New Jersey residents have been waiting to hear: A more specific plan for the reopening of the state. This week, he's addressed four different aspects of a potential reopening that, if all goes well, seemed to suggest that small businesses could be among the first to fully open to the public (see below).

A complete reopening of the economy won't happen right away, and New Jersey even extended its public health emergency to June 7. Read more: NJ Extends Health Emergency As Coronavirus 'War-Footing' Remains

And the daily number of fatalities has not completely trended downward, hitting 308 on Wednesday. The total number of cases rose to 131,390 in New Jersey, and 8,549 have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

But slowly and surely, Murphy – joining a chorus of Jersey Shore mayors who are making plans to reopen beaches by Memorial Day – is starting to talk about what New Jersey may look like and what parts of the economy could open their doors first – and when.

Two weeks ago, Murphy offered a broad reopening plan, providing a six-point outline to "restart New Jersey and put the state on the road to recovery." But it lacked specifics and any kind of timeframe that some New Jerseyans are hungering for. Read more: Gov. Murphy Issues 6-Point NJ Reopen Plan In Coronavirus Crisis

On Wednesday, Murphy said New Jersey is "seeing good signs but can't lull ourselves into thinking that all is well" even as "we get closer and closer to our restart."

Here are four things to know:

Small businesses

Murphy is starting to indicate that small businesses could be among the first – or the very first – to fully reopen their doors amid the coronavirus outbreak.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Murphy said non-essential small businesses that are currently not able to open "are on our list that we are looking at very carefully."

"If we can do that responsibly, you can assume that's on the list of things we want to do," Murphy said. Read more: Gov. Murphy May Allow Small Businesses To Reopen Amid Coronavirus

Murphy said he's gotten some "very highly responsible inputs including a really compelling case from a mayor," whom he didn't identify, about reopening small businesses.

Murphy said said indoor activity is "complicated" to manage, but with proper social distancing, it's "something we hope we can get sooner than later."

Beaches

Murphy provided insight this week into what the Jersey Shore summer may look like. And it will likely come with "guidance" – not necessarily restrictions – as to how each community should operate. Read more: Gov. Murphy Has New Insight Into How Jersey Shore Summer May Look

Murphy said one of points of guidance – besides social distancing measures – is that the state will suggest limiting parking to 50 percent of capacity.

Murphy said he was "encouraged" with parkgoers' social distancing compliance at state and county parks on Saturday and Sunday, the first weekend they were available to the public since he reopened them last week.

"Some guidance will make sense," Murphy said. "We're encouraged by the compliance over the weekend with the state and county parks."

After Murphy made his statements, a number of Jersey Shore mayors subsequently announced plans to reopen their beaches to the public perhaps as early as Memorial Day. Read more: Jersey Shore Beaches Plan To Open Amid Coronavirus: Here's Where

Statewide opening

Unlike other states, Murphy has indicated that he's more inclined to open up New Jersey on a statewide basis and not by region.

Murphy said recently that it's too early to tell if a reopening will be done on a county-by-county basis, but he said that he's learning toward making "statewide decisions."

The minute you open a park in one county, Murphy said, "you have the rest of the counties" showing up to enjoy the warm weather there.

Cases and hospitalizations have declined

In his broad reopening plan, Murphy said the state must show 14-day trend lines showing appreciable and sustained drop in cases, hospitalizations and other metrics.

Since that April 27 release, New Jersey has seen its daily number of new cases appreciably drop to a near two-month low of 1,513 on Wednesday. Two weeks ago, the daily number of new cases ranged from 3,000 to 4,000.

But Murphy has indicated that he's pleased with the progress, although he also cautioned that there's a reason why the cases have dropped: social distancing.

"You look at the progress we're making – that's because people are staying home," he said.

"We’re guided by science. Not politics. We’re guided by data. Not protests. We’re guided by public health. Not emotion," Murphy said. "That’s how we meet this moment. That’s how we save lives."

Still, he presented graphs on Wednesday that show the steady decline in cases and hospitalizations and how the curve of the virus is flattening in New Jersey:

This article originally appeared on the Middletown Patch