"Right now for many of our essential workers, public transit is how they get to work, and we need to protect them during that trip," the governor said Saturday during his daily COVID-19 press conference in Trenton.

The NJEDA’s chief executive warns that a recovery is far off, but sees reasons for optimism over the long term.

“It’s definitely the case that for New Jersey workers, a lot more folks are going to end up covered, by the New Jersey law,” said Molly Weston Williamson, a staff attorney at A Better Balance.

Some of the most notable measures extend deadlines for state tax filings and the New Jersey budget, expand unemployment, create new tax credits for companies to keep workers on the payroll, and offer some relief for renters.

This marks the third week in a row the state has set a new threshold for its filings, with the first week of the crisis seeing a 1,600 percent increase in volume.

“This challenge does not end when the stay-at-home order ends,” Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority said in an interview with NJBIZ. “We’re going to have to continue to be creative, stretch resources, give small businesses the resources they need.”

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said the money would be dispersed with existing grant formulas, and accompanied by new guidance cutting red tape and allowing recipients to more urgently assist their communities.

There are a few exceptions to the mandate, which goes into effect at 8 p.m., including for the building of hospitals.

The batch of funding comes from the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill that was signed into law in March.

The coordinated effort, according to Gov. Phil Murphy, will also focus on how to avoid a widely-expected resurgence – or second wave – of COVID-19.

The program will beginning accepting submissions next week. In the meantime, owners can use an online “eligibility wizard” to gauge what kinds of state assistance could help them the most.

The state is rushing to play catch-up with the new federal guideline and a surge for requested benefits exacerbated by the influx of now-eligible freelancers and independent contractors.