New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday will announce the temporary statewide suspension of indoor high school and youth sports as part of new rules to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to a report.
The suspension is expected to begin Friday at 6 a.m. and last until at least Jan. 2, NJ Advance Media reported, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the decision. Youth and high school basketball, ice hockey and swimming are among the sports that will be affected.
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Indoor collegiate and professional sports remain unaffected, the sources told the paper.
The new rules will also limit outdoor gatherings to a maximum of 25 people, according to the sources, down from the 150-person limit put into effect earlier this month ahead of Thanksgiving.
But the virus has surged in New Jersey over recent weeks, with the state’s health department reporting 3,851 new coronavirus cases on Monday. A seven-day average of 4,018 cases per day over the past week was an increase of 14% from two weeks earlier, according to The New York Times.
Murphy, a Democrat, told Fox News on Sunday that while he doesn’t anticipate shutting down again, another statewide shutdown was still “on the table.”
“In terms of a shutdown, I don’t anticipate it, and I sure as heck don’t want to go that route,” Murphy said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I would just beg folks, particularly in the holiday season, … keep your guard up.”
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“For the next two to three months we’re in the fight of our lives. … There’s a lot of private transmission,” said Murphy.
