Coronavirus New Jersey: Gov. Murphy Assembles Commission To Restart Economy As State Nears 114,000 Cases
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Gov. Phil Murphy's timeline for reopening parts of the New Jersey economy is more fluid as the state deals with nearly 114,000 cases of COVID-19. The death toll now stands above 6,400.
There's still no answer when the state will begin to reopen its economy, but yesterday we learned how they plan to do it and today we learned who will guide the process.
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"It's about saving lives," Murphy said.
Murphy is encouraging everyone to stay the course social distancing, staying at home whenever possible and wearing masks in public. However, it's something Eyewitness News saw only some people doing on the Atlantic City Boardwalk Tuesday.
With spring here and Memorial Day weekend just a few weeks away, many are chomping at the bit to end their isolation, but Murphy continues to say "not yet."
"The reminder is, let's never forget what Memorial Day is about. This is a salute, a solemn salute, to the veterans who have given their lives in service to our nation," Murphy said.
On Monday, the governor laid out a six-step plan he calls "The Road Back" from COVID-19. On Tuesday, he announced the Governor's Restart and Recovery Commission.
Co-chaired by Merck chairman Ken Frazier and Dr. Shirley Tilghman, president emerita of Princeton University, the commission includes health care, transportation, labor and government operations experts.
"Quite simply, no one has seen how an advanced economy returns and recovers from a global pandemic. We are writing this set of rules for the first time and together," Murphy said.
The commission will prioritize restarting businesses and activities by how essential they are to everyday life and the risk they present for transmitting the coronavirus. Heavy emphasis will be placed on representing minority communities.
"One of our goals is to ensure that no one, no one is left out of our recovery," Murphy said.
While the governor has yet to give any dates for reopening businesses and lifting stay-at-home orders, he points out that COVID-19 testing is improving and fewer people are becoming hospitalized by the deadly virus.
