Business Opening Guidance
Businesses opening brick and mortar locations are advised, in addition to all State rules below, to follow CDC business guidance and OSHA workplace guidance, which includes: industry-specific guidelines for a variety of industries; a 35-page guide on preparing workplaces [PDF]; and record keeping requirements.
The CDC offers a decision-making tool to assist employers in making (re)opening decisions, especially to protect vulnerable workers. Employers with questions about their responsibilities regarding return to work can review the NJ Department of Labor’s site for Employers and Businesses.
For Restaurants & Bars
For Essential Retail Businesses
“Essential” retail businesses, and also nonessential retail as of June 15, 2020, may be open to customers while following Department of Health Guidance for Retail Businesses [PDF], including limiting occupancy to 50% of store capacity, installing a physical barrier such as a shield guard where possible and wherever you cannot maintain 6 feet of social distancing, all required infection control practices, and mandating everyone in the store to wear face coverings. Indoor shopping malls remain closed, but customers are allowed in stores that have their own outdoor entrance.
For Child Car Centers
Child care centers may be open to all clients as of Monday, June 15, 2020. The Department of Children and Families’ Child Care Safety Requirements [PDF] specify rules which centers must abide, and each child care center must submit an attestation to the Department of Children and Families no later than 24 hours prior to the anticipated opening date, or in the case of previously operating emergency child care centers, within fourteen days of the effective date of Executive Order No. 149, attesting that it will follow all applicable health and safety standards.
General Business Opening Guidance
If your business is not a retail business, you have been allowed-and may continue-to operate, but you must let your workers work from home whenever possible. For example, professional service firms-like law firms and accounting firms-may continue to operate, but must let employees work from home. The U.S. Department of Labor has guidance on the Fair Labor Standards Act pertaining to your obligations to employees regarding telework. If you have employees that need to be on site, you must keep them to the minimum number needed for critical operations; examples of these include cashiers, store clerks, construction workers, repair workers, warehouse workers, lab researchers, custodial staff, and certain administrative staff.
June 22 Business Opening Guidance
Personal care businesses will be able to reopen Monday, June 22, 2020. These include: beauty salons; barber shops; cosmetology shops; day spas (but not saunas, steam rooms, or shared bathing facilities) and medical spas which solely perform elective and cosmetic medical procedures; electrology facilities; hair braiding shops; massage parlors; nail salons; tanning salons; and tattoo parlors. Licensed businesses must abide by the Division of Consumer Affairs’ comprehensive safety standards for Cosmetology, Massage, and Bodywork licensees [PDF], including providing services by appointment only, prescreening and temperature checks of clients and staff, and staff-client pairs remaining at least 6 feet apart unless separated by physical barriers. Tattoo and tanning facilities must follow Department of Health standards for tanning and body art establishments [PDF]. Everyone in a personal care business must wear a face covering at all times, unless receiving a service that requires removing it, in which case staff must not only wear a mask but also a face shield, goggles, or table shield.
Municipal and private-club swimming pools will be able to reopen on Monday, June 22. Department of Health Pool Standards [PDF] must be followed, which include but are not limited to: reduced capacity, social distancing in and out of the water, staff fever screening, and maintaining a patron sign-in sheet. Prior to June 22, pool facilities may open for the purpose of lifeguard training and lifeguard swimming lessons. Summer camps will be able to use their pools when they reopen on July 6.
Organized sports activities will be able to restart June 22, 2020. Activities will be limited to sports activities conducted outside, and there can be no contact drills or activities. Department of Health guidance.
Youth day camps will be able to resume on July 6, 2020, including municipal summer recreation programs, only if they comply with required youth camp COVID-19 standards and they submit an attestation at least 24 hours prior to opening; see the Department of Health’s Youth Camps page for all guidelines and forms. Residential and overnight camps are prohibited from operating.
Gatherings of individuals, such as parties, celebrations, or other social events, are allowed at limited capacities and also subject to all other current business closures and restrictions. Indoor gatherings are permitted at 25% of a building’s capacity or 50 persons, whichever is lower; attendees at indoor gatherings must wear face coverings and stay 6 feet apart. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 100 persons, with an exception allowing more than 100 persons for First Amendment-protected outdoor activity, including political protests or outdoor religious services. (The CDC defines gatherings to include conferences, large meetings, parties, festivals, events, weddings, and other types of assemblies.)
Manufacturing, industrial, logistics, ports, shipping, food production, food delivery, and other commercial operations may continue to operate, but must limit staff on site and adopt social distancing policies and protocols.
Medical facilities may continue to operate. Medical facilities include any facility where a sick or injured person is given care or treatment, such as: doctor’s offices, hospitals, dentist offices, long-term care facilities, and other medical offices.
General COVID-19 business guidance cv.business.nj.gov