Gov. Murphy in his video message recommending the cancellation of large public gatherings.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recommended, today, the cancellation of any event in the state that would be attended by more than 250 people, “including concerts, sporting events, and parades.”
This is, obviously, a recommendation and not a law. But it still represents an escalation in the attempt to encourage “social distancing” through the state.
Murphy released the following statement: “Today, based on guidance we have received from the Commissioner of Health, we are recommending the cancellation of all public gatherings throughout New Jersey of more than 250 individuals, including concerts, sporting events, and parades.
“These measures are being taken as part of our coordinated response to the continued outbreak and to aggressively mitigate the spread of the virus.
“Additionally, for all events, we recommend that everyone practice commonsense hygiene, like washing hands routinely, staying home if you do not feel well, and keeping a six-foot distance from others.
“Our frontline efforts right now must be to aggressively mitigate the potential for exposure and further spread. We are taking this step because social distancing works. It is our best chance to ‘flatten the curve’ and mitigate the chance of rapid spread, so we can respond to this public health emergency in an even more focused manner.”
An a video message, Murphy added that this recommendation is going into effect “immediately,” and that it applies to “everything from sports leagues to youth leagues to concerts, and everything in between.”
BREAKING: Today, I am recommending the cancellation of all public gatherings of 250+ people, including parades, concerts, and sporting events.
Social distancing works. This is our best chance to mitigate the chance of exposure & rapid spread of #COVID19.https://t.co/AKOFRSvkQF pic.twitter.com/uFVplz6L3y — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 12, 2020
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