A bill proposed in the Senate does not look to enact any new taxes or fees, but rather attempt to undo a practice of raiding the hotel and motel tax revenue which the law earmarks for these industries.

From June forward last year, a myriad of business restrictions were in place in an effort to curb the spread of the virus: mask mandates, bans on indoor dining, theaters and gyms, and reduced capacity at casinos and retail.

Data released March 4 by the New Jersey Department of Labor found that just 10,384 people filed for unemployment, or 9,214 claims according to the federal labor department.

Thanks to the infusion of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine Gov. Phil Murphy believes the supplies of all the COVID vaccines on either side of Easter are going to explode.

As of March 5, outdoor receptions will be limited to 150 people, while indoor receptions will be capped at 35% capacity or 150 people, whichever is lower.

Over $23 billion in state and federal jobless benefits have been distributed to the more than 2 million New Jerseyans who have filed for unemployment in the past year because of the pandemic.

The Economic Redevelopment and Growth incentive program is aiming to assist the state out of the COVID-19 recession, triggered by mass business closures, cratering consumer spending and soaring unemployment.

Mayor Ras Baraka and Invest Newark launched an initiative to improve the quality of life for Newark residents. The program will help boost the city's economy post-COVID by increasing homeownership and create affordable and market-rate housing.

“These variants are a very real threat to our people and our progress,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a March 1 White House press briefing. “Now is not the time to relax the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, not when we are so close.”

More frontline essential workers and high-risk groups are now eligible for their inoculations, keeping New Jersey moving forward toward its goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the eligible adult population.

Just two of the six regions across the state  - the Northeast and Central East regions - marked “high” levels of activity as of Feb. 20, while the rest were moderate.

The longtime director of the state’s largest public worker union will depart on April 2. Earlier this week, she was named to the NJBIZ Power 100 2021 edition.