Private gatherings kept to 10; winter H.S. sports may have no spectators
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
Gov. Phil Murphy placed a 10-person maximum on private gatherings, most notably Thanksgiving, and set new limits that could mean no spectators at indoor winter youth sporting events, including high school.
In his Monday afternoon COVID-19 press conference, Murphy and state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said the new limits are the result of coronavirus cases continuing to soar in New Jersey just as they are around the country.
Murphy said over the four days from Friday through Monday there have been 14,566 new cases of COVID-19 reported, and the Saturday and Sunday numbers are the highest since the pandemic began. That equals 5 percent of the cumulative 281,493 cases since March 4 have happened in the past four days, he explained, calling that number “pretty darn sobering.”
Sunday there were 4,540 cases and Saturday 4,395 cases statewide.
The highest case counts are no longer from when the virus began rampaging across New Jersey in March and April, he said.
“They have come now when we are grappling with pandemic fatigue and when we know people have begun to let their guards down,” Murphy said. “We have got to get back in front of this virus as best we can right now so when a vaccine – multiple vaccines, which looks increasingly likely – are ready for wide-scale distribution, which we hope is in a matter of a few months, we are in a stronger position for our vaccination program to work.”
Effective at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, indoor gatherings were limited to 10 persons, down from the 25-person limit set on Aug. 3. Exceptions include religious services or celebrations, political activities, wedding ceremonies, funerals or memorial services, and performances will continue to be limited to 25 percent capacity of a facility, but a maximum of 150 people.
There was no change to the 25 percent limit on indoor dining.
“We know this will cause some people to readjust their Thanksgiving plans,” Murphy said. “As we’ve been saying … for weeks this will not be a normal Thanksgiving. It’s not a normal school year, it wasn’t a normal Halloween, it won’t be a normal Hanukkah or Christmas and 2020 won’t be normal, period.
We’re urging everybody to keep their Thanksgiving plans as small as possible because we know that indoor gatherings in homes are particularly dangerous places for COVID-19 to spread.”
Indoor sports activities will be limited to 10 persons, but will be allowed to exceed that number to accommodate only the individuals required: athletes, coaches, referees.
“In most cases when that number exceeds 10 people, spectators will not be permitted,” he said.
Winter indoor sports include wrestling, basketball and swimming, all of which require more than 10 athletes, much less coaches or referees.
Sectional high school playoffs, however, may have dodged a bullet on those limits.
The governor said outdoor activities, including sports, are being limited to 150 people – down from 500 – and that 150 includes all the players, coaches, referees, etc.
However, he said because of events already planned, he is not instituting that order until Monday, Nov. 23.
Around the state, there are football games and sectional finals this weekend in field hockey and boys and girls soccer. Ocean City High School has a home playoff football game Friday and Ocean City and Mainland Regional High School have teams still competing in boys and girls soccer and field hockey who have a shot at making the finals, which are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJISAA) had already determined the sectional finals would end most high school seasons, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day football games. There will be no state playoffs.
As of Monday, there were 2,115 individuals in the hospital and 417 on ventilators in New Jersey as the state’s death toll reached 14,799 and another 1,801 probable COVID-19-related fatalities.
Thanksgiving
Murphy and Persichilli both urged citizens to take the limits seriously, especially for Thanksgiving gatherings, because more and more cases in the current surge have come because of private gatherings.
Celebrate only with members of the immediate household and if others are coming, have them self-quarantine for 14 days. “If you haven’t started doing it, start limiting your interaction today,” Persichilli said. “This won’t be a normal Thanksgiving. Our lives and the lives of our loved ones depend on it.”
Peak hasn’t hit
Persichilli said with modeling the state is using, she expects the peak of this wave of coronavirus cases to hit at the end of the year and she expected “a very busy January and February.” However, she hopes the numbers will not be as high as they were in April.
She also put the prime factor for how bad everything gets back on the citizens of New Jersey.
She said she could not stress enough how personal behaviors will manage the severity of COVID-19 and that people must continue to use masks and social distancing and limit their gatherings.
Although she and the governor expect vaccinations to become available by April on a widespread basis, it still takes time for the population to get vaccinated. She said she is concerned about the next six months.
Hospital concerns
Both said health care workers have reason to be concerned as the number of people hospitalized increases. Unlike the spring, when New York and New Jersey were the most affected states and health care workers from other states were able to come here to help out, that isn’t the case now with COVID-19 rising around the country and taxing hospitals in multiple states.
Long-term care
According to the state Department of Health, there are now active outbreaks at 241 long-term care facilities in New Jersey. Of all the coronavirus-related deaths in the state, residents at those facilities have accounted for 6,886 – almost half – and there have been 122 staff deaths.
Persichilli urged families not to bring relatives from long-term care home for Thanksgiving and is issuing guidance for those facilities to be prepared for better quarantining of patients. She also said they should increase the ability for those residents to be able to see their families virtually.