NEW JERSEY – In the latest round of attempts to combat the spread of COVID-19, all indoor sports have been canceled until January 2, and outdoor gatherings have been curtailed to 25 people until further notice.
Gov. Phil Murphy made the announcement at one of his daily press conferences, explaining that sporting events have been one of the culprits leading to the spread of the virus. The decision came in association with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
The move includes both youth and adult sports, but it doesn’t include college or professional sports teams.
The change is scheduled to go into effect on December 5 and last until January 2.
“I intend to see a high school sports season in January,” he said.
The attendance at outdoor events will be reduced to 25 people starting on December 7 and lasting until further notice. Exempt from these are religious and political gatherings, funerals, memorials, and weddings.
He urged residents to conduct their plans for the holidays in the same way that they handled the virus back in “May and June when we crushed the curve.” People need to stay strong and not give in to quarantine fatigue. Keep gatherings small, and if possible, to your own household.
He dismissed the idea of the entire state shutting down again. He said there were rumors going around that this may happen but they were only rumors.
While numbers are going up with a second wave, there are three things that are different now than they were when the state shut down in spring.
Firstly, there used to be a shortage of medical equipment and personal protective equipment. That issue isn’t as bad anymore.
Secondly, there is news of a vaccine on the way, when that wasn’t a possibility in the spring.
Thirdly, medical professionals know a lot more about how the virus spreads and how it behaves once it infects someone. They are more able to prepare for and understand the trends.
Using this information should keep the schools from closing across the state, he said. Learning what actions spread the virus allow school and medical officials to be “surgical” in how they keep people safe. They are able to stop certain activities rather than closing outright.
Most of the cases in schools appear to be “outside-in,” Murphy said, meaning that someone brought it from outside the school, and tested positive, without spreading it to others.
One place that has become all remote is the State Department of Health, he said. One employee tested positive and now the department works from home.
