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By Blair C. Lane, Sr.
Earp Cohn P.C.
Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Re-Opening NJ What You Need to Know

As the situation evolves, I want to ensure that you that I am here to assist you with any legal matter or questions you may have.

As the coronavirus situation continues to play out, I want to assure you that my law firm, Earp Cohn, P.C., is fully functional and continuing to advocate for you.

I remain available to speak with you by telephone, or to correspond with you by email, should feel free to contact us.

Our receptionist continues to answer the firm’s main lines personally from the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can always reach me on my cell phone.

Important NJ Updates and Executive Orders:

Re-Open New Jersey

Executive Orders:

Effective at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, June 22, 2020, outdoor swimming pools are permitted to open

Pool facilities may open for the purpose of lifeguard training and swimming lessons prior to Monday, June 22, 2020

All recreational and entertainment businesses that were closed to the public by paragraph 9 of Executive Order No. 107 (3/21/2020) are permitted to reopen their outdoor spaces to the public, unless otherwise prohibited by this Order.

Hair salons and barbershops in NJ will be allowed to reopen with restrictions on June 22, 2020.

The following shall remain closed to the public at pool facilities and all recreational businesses: a. Aquatic recreation facilities; b. Indoor recreational areas; c. Playgrounds; and 10 d. Water fountains (those considered recreational, not those for drinking).

Indoor gatherings:

a.     The number of individuals limited to 25% of the capacity of the never be larger than 50 persons

b.    All attendees at the gathering must wear face coverings

c.     If there are individuals organizing or maintaining the gathering, those individuals must wear face coverings

d.    All attendees at the gathering are required to be 6 feet apart from other attendees at all times, excluding immediate family members etc.

e.      There may be no contact between attendees, excluding immediate family members,

f.      Where the number of individuals at the gathering is 10 persons or fewer, the gathering is not required to comply with Paragraphs 1(a)-(e) of this Order, but all individuals at the gathering should wear face coverings at all times,

g.    Should demarcate six feet of spacing in the area of the gathering to demonstrate appropriate spacing for social distancing, such as through the placement of cones, flags, or other markings;

h.    Any physical items may not be shared by multiple attendees

Outdoor gatherings:

a. The number of individuals at the gathering must be limited to 100 persons or fewer; by July 3 will increase to 500 persons

b. All attendees at the gathering are required to be six feet apart from other attendees at all times, excluding immediate family members,

c. There may be no contact between attendees, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners, and excluding a limited number of individuals organizing or maintaining the gathering;

d. If there are individuals organizing or maintaining the gathering, they should, where applicable, demarcate six feet of spacing in the area of the gathering to demonstrate appropriate spacing for social distancing, such as through the placement of cones, flags, or other markings;

e. Any physical items, including equipment, may not be shared by multiple attendees of the same gathering except for immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners, unless such physical items are sanitized before and after use by different individuals;

f. Where the number of individuals at the gathering is 25 persons or fewer, the gathering is not required to comply with Paragraphs 2(a)-(e) of this Order.

Where the outdoor gathering is a religious service or political activity, such as a protest, the gathering is not required to comply with the rules

g. Open-air rain tarps, tents, and other outdoor structures shall be allowed solely for the purpose of protecting against foul weather or for shade;

h. All individuals at the gathering should wear face coverings at all times where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, in accordance with CDC recommendations, except where doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age, and all attendees must wear such face coverings where required by another Executive Order; and

i. To the degree the gathering requires pre-payment, or seeks donations of any kind, contactless options for pre-payment or donation, such as online or by telephone, must be offered wherever feasible.

3. No individual shall be considered in calculating the total number of attendees at the outdoor gathering at any time in which that individual is in a vehicle, so long as that vehicle is either (1) closed, meaning that the windows, doors, sunroofs, and tops of the vehicle are all closed, or (2) more than six feet from any other vehicle or individual. 4. Nothing in this Order shall prevent an individual at a gathering from coming within six feet of another person, coming into contact with another person, going indoors, or leaving their vehicles, if done to protect their health or safety or the health or safety of another individual. 10 5. Nothing in this Order shall prevent a person at a gathering from momentarily removing their mask to place or receive an item in their mouth, including food or beverage, if done for religious purposes or for their health or safety. 6. Gatherings authorized by this Order are permitted at State Parks and Forests, county and municipal parks, public and private beaches, boardwalks, lakes, and lakeshores;

Effective at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, June 15, 2020, Restaurants, cafeterias, dining establishments, and food courts, with or without a liquor license, bars, and all other holders of a liquor license with retail consumption privileges, collectively referred to as “food or beverage provided that the establishment complies with the following requirements:

a. Ensure all areas designated for food and/or beverage consumption are in conformance with applicable local, State, and Federal regulations;

b. Limit capacity to a number that ensures all patrons can remain six feet apart from all other patrons at all times, except for those patrons with whom they are sharing a table;

c. Satisfy all standards issued by DOH pursuant to Paragraph 3 of this Order;

d. Ensure that tables seating individual groups are six feet apart in all directions and that individual seats in any shared area that is not reserved for individual groups, such as an outdoor bar area, are also six feet apart in all directions;

e. Prohibit patrons from entering the indoor premises of the food or beverage establishment, except to walk through such premises when entering or exiting the food or beverage establishment in order to access the outdoor area, or to use the restroom;

f. Require patrons to wear a face covering while inside the indoor premises of the food or beverage establishment, unless the patron has a medical reason for not doing so or is a child under two years of age; and

g. Prohibit smoking in any outdoor areas designated for the consumption of food and/or beverages. The requirement that food or beverage establishments impose this prohibition shall automatically sunset once food or beverage establishments are permitted to offer in-person service in indoor areas.

8. Effective at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, June 15, 2020, the Retail Stores aka brick-and-mortar premises of non-essential retail businesses that were closed to the public by Executive Order No. 107 (2020) can reopen to the public, provided that such businesses adopt policies that include, at minimum, the requirements that were applied to essential retail businesses in Paragraph 1 of Executive Order No. 122 (2020)

Effective 6:00 a.m. on June 15, 2020, child care centers and other child care facilities are permitted to resume operations for all clients, provided that they comply with the COVID-19 Child Care and Youth Summer Camp Standards and other applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders.

Effective June 22, 2020, insofar as it applies to sporting activities in outdoor settings that do not involve person-to-person contact or routinely entail individuals interacting within six feet of one another are permitted.

Youth summer camps shall be permitted to operate on or after Monday, July 6, 2020, provided that they comply with the COVID-19 Child Care and Youth Summer Camp Standards and other applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive Order.

Youth residential and overnight camps are prohibited from operating at this time.

The Dep of Health shall impose Standards for COVID-19 Related Health and Safety Applicable in New Jersey Child Care and Youth Summer Camp Settings (“COVID-19 Child Care and Youth Summer Camp Standards”).

Ready to hit the Boardwalk and beaches? Here are a few points you need to know and what the towns are required to do:

Impose non-discriminatory capacity restrictions including, but not limited to: Limiting the number of available seasonal and daily beach tags;

Require that members of the public practice social distancing while present at all public and private beaches, boardwalks, lakes, and lake shores, including staying six feet apart whenever practicable, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners.

Remove, tape-off, or otherwise block access to all benches and tables to discourage gatherings;

Prohibit the tying together or “rafting up” of boats to discourage group gatherings;

Prohibit impermissible gatherings of individuals, including special events such as festivals, concerts, fireworks, and movies,

Limit occupancy in public restrooms that remain open to avoid over-crowding and maintain social distancing

All employees and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings when present on the public and private beaches, boardwalks, lakes, and lake shores in any settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age,

All restaurants, cafeterias, dining establishments, and food courts, with or without a liquor license, all bars, and all other holders of a liquor license with retail consumption privileges located on the public and private beaches, boardwalks, and lake shores, including concessions, snack bars, and food trucks, shall remain limited to offering only food delivery and/or take-out services

Amusement parks and arcades, as well as other places of public amusement located on the public and private beaches, boardwalks, and lake shores, shall remain closed

The restrictions shall also apply to all public piers, docks, wharfs, boat ramps, and boat landings throughout the State,

4/24/2020 Tenants can use and Landlords can accept and apply security deposits toward the payment of rent in a residential unit - click below

No cable or telecommunications provider that provides residential internet and voice services to New Jersey residents shall terminate such internet and voice service due to nonpayment - click below

Important Announcements:

New Jersey tax filing deadline is extended from April 15th to July 15th to match the Federal Tax Deadline

PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS MAY BE DELAYED - Any governing body of a municipality with a calendar year budget cycle may adopt a resolution instituting a grace period concluding on a date no later than June 1, 2020 for the payment of second-quarter property taxes - click below

Our nation's small businesses are facing an unprecedented economic disruption due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. On Friday, March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the CARES Act, which contains $376 billion in relief for American workers and small businesses.

Beginning Friday, April 3, 2020, small businesses, including nonprofits and sole proprietorships, can apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and certain other expenses through existing SBA lenders. 

Starting Friday, April 10, 2020, independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other certain expenses through existing SBA lenders. 

See important Federal Links below

Contact me if you or your company need assistance in applying for funds available under the CARES Act.

Important Links

Federal Government

New Jersey

Pennsylvania