NJ businesses and residents brace for another lockdown

COVID-weary New Jersey residents and businesses are bracing for another round of restrictions and closures as the Garden State continues to register an increase in new positive tests for coronavirus.

While Gov. Phil Murphy says he believes private gatherings are the biggest driver of these new infections, "all options are on the table." That could include a curfew, new stay-at-home orders and another round of business closures.

Murphy has not been shy about imposing restrictions he believes will help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, and has been supportive of measures taken in Newark, Hoboken and other cities, which have included a curfew and stepped-up enforcement of executive orders. If new restrictions are imposed on businesses, it could be the end for many of them. Even while saying not a single COVID-19 outbreak has been traced to indoor dining, Murphy refused to expand capacity beyond 25%. The NJ Restaurant Association says that will force many more eateries to close.

Many of those I spoke with this weekend expect new restrictions by Thanksgiving. Murphy has warned against large gatherings for the holiday, and suggested having Thanksgiving dinner outside.

How to track your mail-in ballot

Other Top News for Nov. 2, 2020:

These are the "risky behaviors" health officials believe are leading to a COVID spike.
Online learning has been hard for many New Jersey students. Seventh-grader Ailey Smith captured just how difficult it can be in a letter to the East Windsor school superintendent.
New York is giving up on the travel advisory list created with New Jersey and Connecticut. New York will instead require any visitor to test negative for COVID before and after arrival. Commuters are exempt.
President Trump and Joe Biden are making their closing arguments to the American people ahead of Election Day tomorrow.
The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, which oversees election security, is now on high alert.
The counting of ballots is underway. Several counties worked through the weekend to begin their tallies.
New Jersey's embrace of early voting seems likely to continue beyond this year's election.
Another sign of concerns over unrest after Election Day: Atlantic City businesses could be seen boarding up this weekend.
The Motor Vehicle has begun offering online appointments for many transactions as of today. The best way to check to see if you can scheduled a time instead of waiting in line is to go the MVC website.