Coronavirus New Jersey: Gov. Murphy Warns He Will Close Parks If He Sees 'Knucklehead Behavior With People Ignoring Social Distancing' This Weekend
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- New Jersey residents will be able to venture into parks and golf courses starting Saturday. But Gov. Phil Murphy warns parks will be shutdown again if residents begin to congregate.
Camden County has measures in place to make sure that doesn't happen.
"This weekend will be a huge test for all of us as to whether or not we stay on this trajectory. As we reopen our parks and as some of you head back to the golf course, social distancing is going to be the watchword. We will be closely monitoring actions across the entire weekend," Murphy said.
Murphy is starting to ease some restrictions on New Jersey's stay-at-home order.
This weekend, residents will head to the green and enjoy golf courses and others will get some fresh air at state and county parks. But Murphy cautioned residents during a news conference Friday afternoon.
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"If we see what we saw -- and this was extremely troubling -- over the first weekend in April when we had good weather and we closed the parks after that, we saw a lot of the so-called knucklehead behavior with people ignoring social distancing. And if we see that again, we will not hesitate, and I don't say that with any joy, to re-close the parks. I sincerely do not want to do that," Murphy said.
Twenty-two parks in Camden County were shutdown as a result of congregating in April.
Camden County Freeholder Jeff Nash believes things will be different this time around.
"We will have instructed signs to remind people that they do need to be responsible, to do social distancing and to wear masks," Nash said.
Dog parks and playgrounds will remain closed. Nash says park ambassadors will be out patrolling the parks to make sure residents are social distancing.
"There will be people there offering instruction for people who will be using the parks, and we believe with the use of the park ambassadors, we aren't going to have any issues with our residents," Nash said.
As restrictions ease in the Garden State, county leaders are asking residents to continue being responsible.
