WALL TWP., N.J. – Because the road to normalcy is set to be a long and potentially difficult one for businesses, Assemblyman Edward Thomson is calling for Gov. Phil Murphy to lay out specific benchmarks and timetables so they can better plan.
“Businesses, especially seasonal businesses, can’t just flip a switch when the Governor decides they can open,” said Thomson (R-Monmouth). “It takes weeks – if not months of planning – to open a business in a good environment. They need specifics so they can hire staff, order inventory, and take all of the necessary steps to try to recover after being shut down for months.”
Murphy started to indicate this week that small businesses could be among the first to fully reopen operations with curbside service or other social-distancing guidelines. But, as more states across the country start to loosen their restrictions – and as New Jersey’s economy continues to struggle – Murphy isn’t providing any more details. Thomson says that waiting will be too late.
“Many businesses are not going to survive this shutdown and many more will not make it through the recovery if they don’t start getting answers soon,” said Thomson. “They need specifics on how and when the governor is going to start reopening our state, not vague plans and task forces.”
More than 1 million New Jersey workers filed for unemployment insurance since the state required business closures beginning on March 21.