Hair salons, retail, outdoor dining to reopen in New Jersey

Hair salons, in-store retail and outdoor dining are set to reopen in New Jersey later this month as the state gradually lifts its coronavirus lockdown, officials announced Monday.

The Garden State will reach Stage 2 of its recovery plan on Monday, June 15, Gov. Phil Murphy said.

That means dining outside and non-essential shopping can begin again, with some capacity restrictions. Child care centers will also reopen on that day.

On June 22, barber shops and hair salons will reopen, and outdoor, non-contact organized sports will be allowed to resume, according to ABC6. Gyms and health clubs will get the green light at a later, yet-to-be announced date.

“Over the past several weeks, we’ve been able to take our first steps on our road back because we stayed true to our guiding principles,” Murphy said at a press conference.

Murphy said the Stage 2 restart will be phased, and “we will not flick a switch.”

“Just because the calendar says June 15, doesn’t mean that everyone should just go back to what they were doing pre-COVID,” he said. “Let’s use common sense for the common good.”

The governor stressed that customers should still adhere to social distancing protocols and wear masks.

“As we open, we know there is a greater chance of transmission of COVID-19. There is no cure. There is no vaccine,” he said. “There is no proven therapeutic. The only cure is responsibility.”

“Safety will continue to be our number one priority.”

As of Monday, there were at least 160,918 confirmed coronavirus cases in New Jersey and 11,721 deaths.