N.J. would have ‘blood on our hands’ if we shut indoor dining, retail without

Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday continued to say all options are “on the table” when it comes to fighting the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in New Jersey — but he also suggested it’s irresponsible to close indoor dining or nonessential retail stores without more federal aid.

The Democratic governor took aim at a favorite target, Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, as federal lawmakers in Washington remain deadlocked over a new stimulus package. Democrats want a $2.2 trillion bill, while Republicans prefer $500 billion with no aid to state and local government.

“As long as Mitch McConnell is sitting on his hands and not getting behind a major stimulus … you shut without absolute evidence that there’s spread and transmission, you shut nonessential workplaces or indoor dining, you’re basically putting a bullet in them,” Murphy said during his latest COVID-19 briefing in Trenton.

“And unless we see explicit transmission coming out of there, that’s blood on our hands in a different respect,” he said. “And it’s shameful that they have not acted in Congress — especially McConnell and the Republican Senate — to throw a lifeline to small businesses.”

Murphy has repeatedly called for more federal aid.

“Listen: Could you see it differently if scenario where there was that lifeline and you could afford, you had more latitude to say, ‘We can afford to take a two-week pause there because they’re getting cash on the barrel in order to do that’?” he asked Friday. “That’s the trade. That trade should be available.”

The governor’s comments came hours Newark’s mayor announced the state’s largest city will ask residents to stay at home for 10 days beginning the day before Thanksgiving as coronavirus numbers rise.

Meanwhile, states like Rhode Island and Michigan are instituting “pauses” with new restrictions for set periods of time to battle the second wave.

By comparison, Murphy has taken a more surgical approach in New Jersey. He ordered indoor bars and restaurants in New Jersey to close at 10 p.m. daily and canceled interstate indoor sports up the high school level. Indoor gatherings are now limited to 10 people, down from 25, and starting Monday, outdoor gatherings will be limited to 150, down from 500.

Indoor dining at restaurants remain open but limited to 25% capacity and nonessential retail stores to 50% capacity.

Murphy has stopped short of ordering another statewide shutdown like he did in the spring but hasn’t ruled it out.

“We believe the combination with surgical action and pleading for responsibility will have an impact,” he said Friday. “We don’t just take steps that are symbolic, that don’t have any oomph under them.”

“Everything is on the table,” the governor added. “There’s no necessarily obvious next up to bat. We would really like to see what’s in place take hold.”

Murphy also noted that Rhode Island is pulling back indoor dining to 33% during its pause.

“We never went above 25%,” he said.

New Jersey received $2.4 billion in the first stimulus package that Congress passed. Murphy’s administration has released millions of it to…