New Jersey governor says he’d be ‘shocked’ if beaches aren’t open by Memorial Day

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said Thursday night he would be “shocked” if the state’s beaches weren’t open by Memorial Day, a little over two weeks away.

“I will be shocked if our beaches are not open, but with very specific guidance, just as we opened county and state parks,” Murphy told NJTV in an interview. “You should expect we’ll give guidance on beaches before Memorial Day.”

Cities and towns are allowed to decide whether their beaches and boardwalks will be open, but Murphy has the authority to override them and put social distancing measures in place. During the pandemic, some beaches have closed while others have stayed open.

The governor also said curbside pickup for businesses might soon be permissible. Several states have taken that step in the early phases of reopening.

“Could I see sooner than later opening for curbside pickup, just as we’re doing, for instance, with food? I could see that,” Murphy said. “Bear with us on that. I hope to have some guidance in the next week or so.”

New Jersey has been one of the states hit hardest by the coronavirus, with more than 8,800 deaths, second only to neighboring New York.

Last weekend, Murphy allowed state and county parks to reopen, as well golf courses, but with social distancing protocols in place.