What to Know
- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that malls in the state will reopen soon -- yet another sign that the fight against coronavirus in the tri-state area is moving in the right direction.
- Retail shopping malls may reopen on June 29.
- However, the shopping mall experience will look different in the wake of the pandemic.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Thursday that malls in the state will reopen soon -- yet another sign that the fight against coronavirus in the tri-state area is moving in the right direction.
Retail shopping malls may reopen on June 29.
However, the shopping mall experience will look different in the wake of the pandemic.
According to the guidelines made public by Murphy:
- Masks or face covering are required "at all times while indoors, with the exceptions solely for residents with medical conditions, which make wearing a face mask impossible and children under 2 years old," the governor said.
- All stores will be limited to 50 percent capacity. "Business within the indoor portions of the mall will be treated just as they would if they were located outside of a shopping mall," Murphy said. "This means limiting the number of customers to 50 percent capacity and require employees to wear face coverings, among other requirements."
- Common areas such as communal settings and food courts must remain closed or otherwise off limits.
- Mall-based restaurants may offer take-out and may offer in-person outdoor service in areas outside of the mall where feasible.
- Indoor entertainment businesses, such as movie theaters or arcades, will remain closed.
Murphy said social distancing will continue to be the norm and the state is also asking mall operators to establish building-specific policies and customer flow plans to minimize congestion points.
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"This includes creating entrance only and exit only points if feasible and sanitation materials must be provided to both mall employees and customers particularly at entrances," the governor said.
"Certainly malls are part of New Jersey's culture and lore, I think as much here if not more so than any other American state," Murphy said. "We want this businesses to get back up and running responsibly and safely."
