Gov. Phil Murphy will announce later Monday that the state is dropping the outdoor gathering limit to 25 people and that youth and high school sports are off for the rest of the year, NJ Advance Media reported.
NJ Advance Media, citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the new regulations will go into effect on the morning of Dec. 7 — one week from today.
The new regulations are a result of the continuing rise in COVID-19 cases in New Jersey (there were 16,440 new cases announced over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend) and the rest of the country.
Murphy repeatedly has said a second statewide shutdown is on the table — even though he hopes to not implement one.
On Nov. 20, Murphy dropped the number for outdoor gatherings from 500 to 150 and the number for indoor gatherings from 25 to 10.
It is unclear how the new limits will impact restaurants or retail sales during the holiday season.
The ban on outdoor gatherings and sports will not apply to college or professional sports, the report said.
Rutgers’ football team is scheduled to host Penn State on Saturday in Piscataway. The New York Jets are scheduled to host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
