New Jersey Indoor Dining, Casinos Can Reopen July 2

Natasha Brown reports.

AT 6:00 AND WE ARE STREAMINGLIVE ON CBSN PHILLY.I'M UKEE WASHINGTON.WE'RE ALSO LEARN WHEN DID YOUGO OTHER TYPES OF BUSINESSESCAN RESUME OPERATIONS.GOVERNOR MURPHY ANNOUNCINGTHAT ON JULY 2ND CASINOS ANDRACETRACKS CAN OPEN AND INDOORDINING CAN RESUME.AND EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,OUTDOOR GATHERINGS MAY NOWINCREASE FROM 100 TO 250PEOPLE.BUT THE GOVERNOR HAS A WARNINGALSO."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERNATASHA BROWN JOINS US NOWWITH THAT.NATASHA.Reporter: GOOD EVENING,UKEE AND JESSICA.WE KNOW THAT GOVERNOR MURPHYIS CONTINUING ON HIS PLAN NOWTO REOPEN MORE AND MOREBUSINESSES ALL THROUGHOUT THEGARDEN STATE.MEANTIME, IN DOING THAT, THETOURISM AND GAMING INDUSTRYTELL US THIS COULD NOT BECOMING AT A BETTER TIME.DRASTIC REDUCTIONS IN COVID-19CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONSCONTINUE TO ALLOW NEW JERSEYTO MOVE INTO THE LATTER STAGEOF PHASE TWO REOPENINGS.GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY HASANNOUNCED THAT CASINOS ANDRACETRACKS THROUGHOUT THEGARDEN STATE WILL REOPENJULY 2ND JUST AHEAD OF THEFOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND.SAFETY PROTOCOLS WILL BE INPLACE FOR VISITORS ANDEMPLOYEES.THE GOVERNOR ALSO ANNOUNCEDTHE REOPENING OF INDOOR DININGWITH MODIFIED CAPACITY LIMITSAT RESTAURANTS BEGINNINGJULY 2ND.THE CASINOS IN ATLANTICCITY WILL REOPEN ON THURSDAY,JULY 2ND AND MAY OPERATE AT25% OF THEIR CAPACITY.Reporter: NEW JERSEYOFFICIALS IN CONJUNCTION WITHTHE HEALTH EXPERTS ARE WORKINGTO SOLIDIFY SAFETY MEASURESBUT THE GOVERNOR DIDN'T MINCEWORDS ON HOW SERIOUS THESE NEWPOLICIES WILL BE TAKEN.YOU SHOULD FULLY EXPECTTHAT THEY WILL INCLUDEMANDATORY FACE COVERINGS ANDMASKS AND HEALTH SCREENINGSFOR ALL VISITORS AND STAFFER.IF ANY VISITOR REFUSES TOCOMPLY WITH THESE SIMPLESAFEGUARDS YOU WILL BEESCORTED OUT OF THE CASINO.WE ARE NOT GOING TO TOLERATEANY KNUCKLEHEADS.Reporter: OFFICIALS WITHTHE INSTITUTE OF GAMING ANDTOURISM AT STOCKTON UNIVERSITYSAY THE TIMING OF CASINOREOPENINGS COULDN'T BE BETTER.THE CASINOS THE LAST TWOYEARS MADE 30% OF THEIRREVENUE IN THE THIRD QUARTER..SO IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FORTHEM TO REOPEN BEFORE THEFOURTH OF JULY.Reporter: GOVERNOR MURPHYSAYS IF ANYTHING ABOUT THEPOSITIVE TRACK OF REOPENINGNEW JERSEY CHANGES AND THERE'SA SIGNIFICANT RISE INCORONAVIRUS CASES, THE STATEWILL HIT PAUSE ON THEREOPENING PHASE.WELL, AGAIN, THIS IS CERTAINLYWELCOME NEWS FOR THE GAMINGAND TOURISM INDUSTRY.CERTAINLY WELCOME NEWS FORATLANTIC CITY AS WELL HOPINGTO GIVE ITS MUCH NEED OWEDBOOST ESPECIALLY TO TOURISM INTHAT AREA.