“Some of it’s in the fed's hands and some of it is in our hands," the governor said. "The 6-foot distance is still very much out there, we do have capacity restrictions on the inside, at a catered event, at large-seated venues.”

Under a program done in coordination with the Brewers Guild of New Jersey, adults over 21 years of age can take their COVID-19 vaccination proof to any of the state's participating breweries for a free pint.

Masks will still be required, but restaurants, museums, movie theaters, retail outlets and other businesses will be allowed to operate at full capacity, as long as they can maintain 6-foot social distancing. For many enterprises with smaller square-footage, full capacity could be unlikely.

Under the governor’s latest round of reopening measures, the limit on outdoor gatherings increased to 500 participants. Festivals and state and county fairs can expand to 50% capacity, which is the same as amusement parks. Large outdoor venues with at least 1,000 spots are limited to 50% capacity, a jump from 30% capacity for venues with at least 2,500 seats. Indoor dining, retailers, casinos and other forms of entertainment must stay at 50%, but Murphy has suggested that he could “accelerate” the state’s reopening if the pandemic continues to ebb.

The governor teased an impending, more “accelerated” reversal of COVID restrictions as the state ramps up its inoculation efforts and key metrics, like daily cases and hospitalizations, are brought under control.

“It’s now more important than ever that we ease indoor capacity restrictions to allow our properties to resume indoor meetings and conferences,” the Casino Association of New Jersey said.

The inoculation, a must for students, faculty and staff, will be essential for gaining access “to an active campus community that will be functioning at full capacity in classrooms, labs, residence halls, and throughout campus,” New Jersey Institute of Technology President Joel Bloom stated.

Months of restrictions are loosening as the state ramps up its inoculation efforts and key metrics like daily cases and hospitalizations are brought under control. But, following new CDC guidance, Murphy says a change in the state's mask policy is unlikely.

The goal of the project is to create a platform that can be expanded into an easy-to-use, non-invasive rapid breathalyzer to diagnose respiratory diseases, including possible future pandemics.

The recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control include a handful of settings where fully vaccinated people do not have to wear a face covering, among them: Outdoor activities regardless of the vaccination status, among people who are alone or gathered with immediate family members.

Registration to get a piece of a $28.6 billion pot of money to help eateries devastated by the pandemic over the past year begins April 30. Applications will remain open until funds run out., with grants capped at $10 million per business, and $5 million per location, that must completely used by March 11, 2023.

Gov. Phil Murphy suggested that fewer people are willing to get inoculated because of mindsets such as, “the weather’s getting warmer, the numbers are going in the right direction, I feel good, I haven’t gotten sick yet.” And added, “Those are not [good] reasons. We need folks to get vaccinated.”