Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Murphy said he would not shut indoor dining in restaurants without "absolute evidence" of spread.
"You shut without absolute evidence that there is spread and transmission, you shut non-essential workplaces or indoor dining, you are basically putting a bullet in them," he said. "And unless we see explicit transmission coming out of there, that's blood on our hands in a different respect."
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While next steps may not be obvious, Murphy also said everything is on the table.
"We are in a vortex of cold weather, it's getting darker, and you have one holiday after another," he said. "Everything is on the table. There is no necessarily obvious next up to bat. We would really like to see what's in place take hold."
The vaccine is expected to arrive in New Jersey in limited amounts in December, state health commissioner Judith Persichilli said.
At least 400,000 doses of vaccine should be in the state by early January, she said.
The state health department wants to vaccinate front-line workers first, and 70% of the state's population (4.7 million) within six months of the vaccine being ready.
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New Jersey is also expanding testing as demand rises. Multiple pop-up testing sites are planned in several hotspot areas.
Testing is free. Insurance is requested but not required. Do not eat or drink 30 minutes before testing.
Harrison:
9 am to 4 pm, Saturday, November 21
Harrison Community Center, 401 Warren Street, Harrison, NJ 07029
Jersey City
9 am to 4 pm, Monday, November 23 and Wednesday, November 25
United Way, 857 Bergen Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Jersey City
1 pm to 7 pm, Monday, November 23 and Wednesday, November 25
Mary McLeod Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305
Totowa (Passaic County)
10 am to 2 pm, Saturday, November 28
Passaic County Senior Services, 930 Riverview Drive, Totowa, NJ 07512
Union City
Wednesdays and Saturdays, November 18 - December 30
1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Union City, New Jersey 07087
Visit covid19.nj.gov for updates.
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