For
Immediate Release:
July 28, 2020
Freeholder
Director issues statement regarding the reopening of indoor dining in Monmouth
County
FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone issued
the following statement regarding the reopening of indoor dining in Monmouth
County:
“We are now halfway through the summer and restaurants’
doors remain closed for indoor dining. Restaurants had been prepared to welcome
back customers inside on July 2, but then that was postponed indefinitely.
I have been in constant communication with our restaurant
owners in Monmouth County, who are truly suffering from the loss of income this
summer. July has been an extremely hot month, which has been great for our
beaches, but not for our restaurants.
Many restaurants in Monmouth County have made the best they
can out of these horrible circumstances, creating dining spaces on sidewalks,
parking lots and even on streets in some towns. I commend all of the mayors and
municipalities that have worked with their businesses to help them endure.
Still, there are too many dining establishments that are
not able to open for outdoor dining and they have been forced to remain closed
or rely solely on take-out and delivery sales to get by. It is incredibly unfair
that they continue to wait for clearance to reopen for indoor dining and are
given no inkling as to when that will be.
While I understand the concern for public health, the facts
show that restaurants are proving that they are capable of providing a safe
environment for their customers. It seems unfair to punish our dining
establishments for the irresponsible behavior of those having social gatherings
in private homes, which have led to outbreaks.
Outdoor dining has been open since June 15 and there have
been no outbreaks among customers at any of the establishments—not one! This
clearly demonstrates that our business community understands the consequences
of not adhering to the safety guidelines. They are working diligently and
taking every precaution to ensure the safety of their patrons.
As I have said many times, restaurants need to be allowed
to open their doors back to their patrons before the summer is over with at
least 50% capacity if we want them to survive.
As the Director of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen
Freeholders, I am asking the Governor to please reopen restaurants for indoor
dining or at least provide a timely plan to address moving towards this
goal—one with clear benchmarks to be met.
Having goals and standards will help alleviate at least
some of the stress and uncertainty that so many business owners are dealing
with right now.
We have to give these establishments a chance before it is
too late.”