New Jersey governor to allow indoor dining as coronavirus restrictions ease

Announcement comes as U.S. total surpasses 6 million COVID-19 cases and 183,000 deaths.

Published: August 31, 2020 6:40pm

Updated: August 31, 2020 8:01pm

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday he would sign an order to permit indoor dining limited to 25 percent capacity, a sign of easing coronavirus restrictions in the hard-hit state.

Murphy's announcement came as Johns Hopkins University reported the number of COVID-19 cases nationwide surpassed 6 million while virus-related deaths eclipsed 183,000.

The governor also announced New Jersey will permit movie theaters to reopen with capacity limitations, and that restaurants will also face other restrictions such as the size of dining parties.