On April 8, Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 122, ceasing all non-essential construction projects and imposing additional mitigation requirements on essential retail businesses and essential industries to limit the spread of COVID-19 in New Jersey. The order also outlines specific protections and policies for all essential retail, manufacturing, and warehousing businesses, as well as businesses engaged in essential construction projects.

Executive Order 122 will provide guidelines for practicing safe social distancing to essential retail. Essential retail, such as grocery stores and all others business deemed essential via Executive Order 107, must limit their occupancy at any given time to 50 percent. The Order will also require a higher level of sanitation, including frequently disinfecting card readers and high traffic areas, as well as stronger hand washing rules for employees. Additionally, essential retail establishments must install barriers at registers between employees and customers, and employees must be instructed to wear protective equipment such as gloves and face masks whenever possible.

Executive Order 122 will also require newly deemed non-essential construction must shut down. This is an important change because up until now all construction was deemed essential. Essential construction, such as ongoing maintenance, infrastructure, utility, hospital/health care facilities, and 100 percent affordable housing projects are deemed essential and may continue. The physical operations of all non-essential construction projects shall cease at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10.

To read Executive Order 122, click here.

To read the Governor's press release, click here.  

For more information, please contact Hilary Beckett, Manager, Government Affairs at hbeckett@chambersnj.com