BREAKING: New Jersey’s Mask Mandate & Social Distancing Policies Lifted, Effective Friday

The state of New Jersey just announced plans to lift some of the most serious COVID-19 restrictions to date.

The state will lift the indoor masking requirement, allow bars and dance floors to reopen, and remove all social distancing requirements, effective this Friday (May 28), Governor Phil Murphy just announced.

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"We have always been guided by the science, the data, and the facts, the actions we are taking today are true to do that," Murphy said during Monday's press conference.

The Statewide Mask Requirement Will Be Lifted on Friday

The statewide indoor mask mandate will be lifted this Friday (May 28).

Individual businesses, however, and other indoor spaces may continue to require that employees and customers/guests wear face masks, the governor said. 0

The news follows the same guidelines that were previously issued by the CDC.

Existing requirements for masking will need to be maintained in various settings including health care facilities, public transportations (and hubs including airports), correctional facilities, public-facing state offices (including the motor vehicle agencies.

The order will also not change masking requirements for summer camp as the vaccine continues to roll out for children.

All Social Distancing Requirements Will Be Lifted on May 28

The requirement for maintaining six feet social distancing in all indoor and outdoor settings will also be lifted on Friday -- this includes all types of businesses and public and private settings. Businesses may continue to offer distanced seating.

If you are not fully vaccinated, you are strongly encouraged to follow CDC guidance to wear a face mask and practice social distancing in any indoor public setting.

"Law enforcement will not be checking vaccination status," Murphy said. "If you feel more comfortable wearing your mask, you may continue to do so."

Dancefloors Can Also Reopen, Effective Friday

Dance floors at bars and restaurants may also reopen, effective Friday (May 28), Governor Murphy said.

Additionally, effective Friday, June 4, all indoor gathering limits will be lifted as well across the state of New Jersey.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

KEEP READING: Here are the most popular baby names in every state

Using March 2019 data from the Social Security Administration, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular names in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., according to their 2018 SSA rankings. The top five boy names and top five girl names are listed for each state, as well as the number of babies born in 2018 with that name. Historically common names like Michael only made the top five in three states, while the less common name Harper ranks in the top five for 22 states.

Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.

Filed Under: coronavirus vaccine, COVID-19 Vaccine, newsletter, Phil Murphy

Categories: Articles