MOORESTOWN, NJ — As the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic intensifies in the state and across the region, Moorestown Council took a step to help local restaurants Monday night when it extended outdoor dining in the township.

Moorestown Council unanimously approved a proposed ordinance on final reading to extend outdoor dining until restrictions are lifted when it met Monday night.

The move came on the same night that Moorestown Mayor Nicole Gillespie noted that the township saw a record number of new coronavirus cases in November, when 165 residents tested positive for the virus. Read more here: Moorestown Saw Record Number Of New Coronavirus Cases In November

So far in December, the township has seen 18 new cases, including 11 on Tuesday and seven on Wednesday, according to numbers provided by the Burlington County Department of Health.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 694 Moorestown residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 64 have died. Countywide, there have been 14,953 cases, 520 confirmed deaths and 57 probable deaths.

On Thursday, Burlington County was one of nine New Jersey counties listed as being in the red zone when it comes to the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak in a new report by the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force.

Red zones have more than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents and a diagnostic test positivity result of above 10 percent. Read more here: 9 NJ Counties In Red Zone: White House Coronavirus Task Force

Officials have said much of the recent spread is due to small gatherings in people’s homes, although Gov. Phil Murphy said during a news conference on Wednesday that more businesses have been caught flouting COVID-19 orders.

During a Wednesday news conference, Murphy took particular exception to Portobello in Oakland after a recent photo surfaced of a largely maskless, over-capacity gathering at the establishment. Read more here: Gov. Murphy Warns: Businesses Flout COVID Rules, Put NJ At Risk

There have been no such incidents in Moorestown, although officials locally have asked the governor to increase limits on indoor gatherings. When the proposal that was approved Monday night was introduced last month, Councilman Mike Locatell expressed concerns that indoor gathering limits were killing the restaurant business. Read more here: Moorestown Moves To Extend Outdoor Dining; New Restrictions Loom

In October, State Sen. Troy Singleton (D-7) called on Murphy to expand indoor dining capacity. That came shortly after Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey President and CEO Christina Renna made a similar plea. Read more here: Give Restaurants A Chance To Survive, SJ Chamber Head Says

The proposal approved on Monday extends a proposal council passed in July that allows restaurants to expand their footprint to allow outdoor dining amid the coronavirus pandemic. That proposal was set to expire Dec. 1. Read more here: Moorestown Gives Final Approval To Outdoor Dining Plan