Moorestown – Senator Troy Singleton issued the following statement today regarding the need to increase indoor dining limits and revise the existing indoor dining guidelines before the cool weather arrives:
“Seven months after the start of the public health emergency, my team and I are still fielding questions from worried restaurant owners. Questions that we simply do not have the answers to. How will they be able to operate during the chillier fall and winter months? Will they be able to continue to keep their staff employed? More simply, will they be able to survive?
“Outdoor dining and 25 percent indoor capacity were an understandable first step in allowing our restaurants to reopen after the long shutdown. However, after several months of serving customers both inside and outside, these professionals have demonstrated they are more than capable of serving the public, while simultaneously maintaining the health and safety of both staff and patrons.
“Governor Murphy has been careful and prudent in his decision making; he has also been compromising. When my team and I pointed out flaws in a previous outdoor dining policy, he thoughtfully revised it, which allowed many of our local eateries to remain open.
“It is once again time for reconsideration. Expanding the indoor dining limits and revising the indoor dining guidelines now will give these small businesses enough time to prepare their restaurants. More importantly, it will give them a fighting chance to survive.”