Summit Gets Ready For Limited Indoor Dining – Patch.com

SUMMIT, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday that limited indoor dining would be allowed in the Garden State starting this coming Friday, in time for Labor Day. The state originally had intended to allow it back in July, but pulled back following temporary spikes in coronavirus numbers.

Dining will be allowed Friday with 25 percent occupancy. Here are more rules:

  • Parties must capped at eight people, and tables must be 6 feet apart.
  • Staff must wear masks all times.
  • Diners must wear masks when not in their seats.
  • Food and beverages can only be consumed while seated.

For a complete list of rules, click here.

Summit restaurants

When asked in a Summit Patch neighbor post if any readers were excited about a particular restaurant or dish, one person responded, “Can’t wait to have fried shrimp and bikini martinis at Marco Polo!”

The Office Tavern Grill and Piattno Neighborhood Bistro, located at 61 and 57 Union Place, respectively, intend to start indoor dining Friday.

“We strongly encourage reservations as seating will be limited to 25 percent capacity in our dining room,” a spokesperson noted. “Face masks/coverings are required when entering the restaurant for indoor dining or use of the lavatories. They can be removed once seated or after exiting the establishment.”

Reservations can be made on the websites or using resy.

Gov. Murphy also recently signed an executive order allowing gyms, health clubs, and indoor amusement facilities to reopen at 25 percent capacity effective Sept. 1.

Equipment must be adjusted to allow a minimum of six feet of distance, and must be sanitized between uses. Everyone must wear masks. More details can be found here.

To read recent coronavirus statistics and trends in Summit, click here.

Here are some other local coronavirus updates:

SCHOOLS

TESTING

  • To make an appointment at the Essex County testing center, or to see if local mobile testing will be provided to your area, visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call 973-324-9950.
  • You can also contact your physician or the state 211 hotline for more information.

OUTDOOR DINING

  • Outdoor dining resumed in New Jersey on June 15, with precautions. Read about Millburn’s first weekend of outdoor dining here.
  • Read about indoor dining updates above.

LOCAL BUSINESS/JOBS

  • Hair salons and other personal care businesses were able to reopen June 22. State rules can be found here.
  • Read more about unemployment, small business, and other coronavirus regulations and benefits in New Jersey here.
  • Turtleback Zoo has job opportunities in guest relations, paddle boats, Treetop Adventure, parking and maintenance, must be 18 years of age. Please visit the link for a list of available jobs and how to apply: https://buff.ly/2QWodaV

LOCAL AND NATIONAL TRENDS

  • Essex County reached a grim milestone this week, with 20,000 coronavirus cases. Read more, and the numbers by town, here.
  • Over the weekend, New Jersey’s total death toll climbed to 14,153 after four confirmed deaths were announced since the day before. The state also announced 388 new confirmed positive cases, bringing the total cases since the beginning of the pandemic to 191,611.
  • However, this daily death rate has declined since back on April 30, when it reached a peak of 460 residents in 24 hours, or one person every three minutes.
  • Many other states’ death rates reached records in July (see the daily totals in each state here), and had to pull back on some of their reopenings. New Jersey has asked people to quarantine if returning from 31 states.
  • More than 176,000 Americans have now died of coronavirus, and more than 5.6 million have tested positive.
  • More than 900 health care workers have died of the virus nationally. Others are simultaneously fighting misinformation as they try to fight the virus.

HOW TO GET HELP WITH HEAT, RENT, AND MORE

  • During the State of Emergency in New Jersey, no tenant is permitted to be evicted from their home or apartment for the inability to pay rent. Talk to your local mayor’s office if you are experiencing difficulties.
  • The CARES act has made money available to help with rent in each city. More information is here.
  • New Jersey residents can get help with heating and energy bills. Information is here.
  • Various other avenues of relief and benefits have also been made available, including family leave for 12 weeks if you can’t work due to your child’s school or camp being closed, and changes to unemployment rules to help those who were at a job for a short time, or freelancing.

LONG-TERM CARE

  • New Jersey residents have become alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities. The state announced plans in May to increase testing at some long term care facilities and to bring in the National Guard to help make changes.
  • The state released death toll statistics for long-term care facilities like rehabs and nursing homes. See the list here.
  • You can report problems with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct, here.
  • Some New Jersey long-term care facilities reopened for limited visits, with precautions, in July.

Here are statewide coronavirus resources:

  • NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/
  • General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1
  • NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. To be the first to get news alerts with breaking stories in Summit, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.