Commenting on Gov. Murphy's decision to cancel indoor dining in the Garden State, Congressman Jeff Van Drew says the governor is forcing businesses to die.

As restaurants were preparing for indoor dining to restart on July 2nd, Gov. Murphy on Monday announced an abrupt about-face and will now not allow it.

"We had planned to loosen restrictions this week. However, after #COVID19 spikes in other states driven by, in part, the return of indoor dining, we have decided to postpone indoor dining indefinitely," Murphy said on Twitter, in an announcement coinciding with his daily COVID-19 press conferences.

He said the decision was also prompted, "because of what we’ve seen in some establishments across the state. Overcrowding. A complete disregard for social distancing. Very few, IF ANY, face coverings."

"The scenes we see in our newspapers and on social media CANNOT CONTINUE," Murphy wrote.

In response to Murphy's decision, Congressman Jeff Van Drew says Murphy is forcing businesses to die.

This is no longer about safety. This is Governor Murphy forcing businesses to die; businesses that just spent months investing and preparing to open at a time he gave his word to them on. The restaurants placed food orders, bought PPE, hired staff back, and started advertising.

How is going to a busy big-box store any safer than a prepared restaurant?

To compare us to other states undermines the pain and the work that went in to keeping us at the diminishing virus levels we are currently at. It does not represent any sense of reality in New Jersey.

I am completely disgusted and my heart aches for the pain these business owners are feeling after their dreams are being smothered by Governor Murphy’s cruel change of mind.

Murphy issued an executive order allowing outdoor dining for the first time since March earlier this month, but indoor dining has remained prohibited. Take-out and delivery service have been allowed throughout the pandemic.

"Compliance isn’t a polite suggestion. It is required," Murphy said on Twitter Monday. "Selflessness, not selfishness."

 

With prior reporting from Townsquare Media's Louis Hochman.

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