FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NFIB Reacts to New Restrictions on Small Businesses

TRENTON (Nov. 9, 2020) – Today, Governor Phil Murphy announced additional restrictions on businesses saying they are necessary due to recent state data on COVID-19. Restaurants, bars and casinos, clubs, and lounges must close at 10 p.m., and bar seating will no longer be allowed. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in New Jersey, which represents thousands of small businesses in the state, reacted to that news. The following comments are from NFIB’s New Jersey State Director, Eileen Kean:

“Small businesses have worked very hard for months to make their businesses safe by complying with every health protocol, regulation, and restriction, so it will be devastating that some must now cut back their hours and face further seating restrictions. When so many small businesses are barely staying afloat and many are already coping with strict capacity limits, another reduction in revenues could result in permanent closures.

“Instead of penalizing those business owners who are following the rules and already in danger due to lower revenues and fewer customers, the state should take a more targeted approach to curb the spread of the virus. This step backward could do irreparable damage in an already fragile economy.”

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For more than 75 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses, and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.