OCEAN TOWNSHIP—Senator Vin Gopal issued the following statement following Governor Murphy's announcement that the reopening of indoor dining in New Jersey restaraunts will be indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19 concerns:

"I can understand why the Governor made his decision, even if not every New Jersey resident or business owner agrees," said Gopal (D-Long Branch). "However, that doesn't change the fact that thousands of New Jersey restaurants are suffering right now—owners, employees, and contractors alike. Restaurants across New Jersey spent real time, funds, and labor preparing for a safe and responsible indoor reopening, only to find their efforts callously dismissed. We owe it to them—to the livelihoods of their employees and their families, and to the long-term health of these small businesses—to help them through these unprecedented times and make them whole again.

"As it stands today, many of these restaurants will never be able to come back. Many more will lose uncountable revenues from their missed 10-12 weeks of summer operations, especially on the Jersey Shore. Whatever our solution is, we can't leave our restaurant industry struggling without aid or assistance—doing so would be cruel, wrong, and harmful to our overall economic recovery."