[Correspondent Report] Dining Inside Restaurants Allowed After 6 Months... 'Everyday Life Turned Awkward'

New Jersey, USA Allows Indoor Dining from the 4th with 25% Capacity
Most Still Dine Outdoors... Return to Pre-COVID Normalcy Remains Distant

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the 4th (local time), indoor dining was allowed in restaurants in New Jersey, USA. This came about six months after it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New Jersey, along with New York, was one of the hardest-hit areas during the early spread of COVID-19.

Starting from the 4th, indoor dining was allowed again in New Jersey, USA, after about six months. On this day, a food court in Edgewater installed partitions between tables and arranged seating within a 25% capacity limit.

On this day before the weekend, residents of Bergen County, New Jersey, were able to dine inside restaurants as they did before the COVID-19 crisis. However, there was a condition: only 25% of the restaurant’s capacity was allowed indoors.

The food court inside Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, which the reporter visited that day, was also accepting dining customers. Guided by staff, I sat down at a table. It felt awkward to take off my mask and eat inside the restaurant. This is a change brought about by six months of time. Still, compared to just a day before when customers had to take food purchased at the food court and eat on outdoor benches, it was clearly a significant difference.

Except for seats equipped with partitions, the remaining areas were still cordoned off with tape to prevent entry. Chairs were also removed. Next to the seats, there was a notice informing customers that due to capacity limits, they must vacate their seats immediately after dining for the next person. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, many restaurants in the U.S. have been limiting dining time.

Since there are not enough indoor tables, many people dine outdoors.

Not all restaurants began allowing customers indoors immediately after the regulations were eased. At a restaurant in Princeton visited on the 5th, I was directed to outdoor seating. When asked if indoor dining was allowed, the server only replied, "The restrictions were lifted starting yesterday." This seemed to imply that small restaurants found it difficult to accommodate even one table indoors due to capacity restrictions. Most nearby restaurants also guided customers to temporary outdoor tables.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, New Jersey restaurants have experienced three turning points. The first stage was the suspension of indoor dining and the shift to delivery and takeout. The second stage was outdoor dining. Afterward, most restaurant parking lots were transformed into tented dining areas. Restaurants without parking lots operated by occupying parts of sidewalks or roads with local government cooperation.

Indoor dining in New Jersey was originally scheduled to resume around July 4th, Independence Day, but was delayed by two months. The reason was the resurgence of COVID-19 in other states.

Restaurant owners’ dissatisfaction exploded. This was because indoor dining was allowed in neighboring New York State except for New York City.

Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey continued to restrict indoor dining contrary to initial announcements, which increased restaurant owners’ frustrations. They claim that although they have survived so far with government support, it is no longer sustainable. A restaurant called Lakeside Diner in Forked River defied the restrictions and admitted customers indoors. Although thousands of dollars in fines have been imposed, the owner has continued to operate regardless.

Still, with about 300 new COVID-19 cases occurring daily, the state government is hesitant to fully lift restrictions. Although the number of cases has sharply decreased compared to the early days of the pandemic, New Jersey alone still has more cases than South Korea. Considering New Jersey’s population is about 9 million, this indicates how severe the COVID-19 situation is compared to South Korea. Theaters and health clubs have only just reopened to maintain social distancing, and Starbucks still does not allow customers to drink coffee inside stores, yet this is the current state. According to Johns Hopkins University, the total number of COVID-19 cases in New Jersey has reached approximately 193,000.

At least the situation for New Jersey residents is better compared to New York City. Indoor dining across the Hudson River in New York City is still prohibited. The New York Times reported that since the COVID-19 outbreak, 1,000 restaurants and cafes have closed in New York City.

The New York State Restaurant Association expressed concern that without additional government support, two-thirds of local restaurants could cease operations by the end of the year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.