New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced yesterday, April 29, that he was signing an executive order to open state and county parks, and golf courses.
The order will go into effect at sunrise this Saturday, May 2, and, of course, social distancing will continue to be mandated.
He said the parking will be capped at 50% capacity, and playgrounds, pavilions, visitor centers, and restrooms will remain closed. At the same time, all picnics, organized activities, and team sports will remain prohibited. They also “recommend wearing a face covering when social distancing is difficult to maintain.”
He initially closed parks on April 7, and golf courses have been closed since March. Like New York, New Jersey has seen hospitalization rates decreasing recently, which is why he decided to reopen them, he said at a press conference.
New York State Parks on the other hand have remained open throughout the pandemic, though at limited capacity.
@NYStateParks shares via Twitter when certain parks have reached their capacity and are closed to further visitors and traffic. They have also asked people to stay local and keep visits short.
BREAKING: Today, I will sign an executive order to:
🏞️Reopen New Jersey’s state parks
⛳Allow golf courses and county parks to reopenThis order will take effect at sunrise on Saturday, May 2nd. Social distancing will continue to be mandated. pic.twitter.com/q1gIuUxoFg
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 29, 2020
featured image source: Photo by Kate Talim on Unsplash