The program, according to EDA head Tim Sullivan, will “provide new resources tailored specifically to help business owners recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for long-term success.”

"For the safety of our fully vaccinated staff and patrons ... indoor dining will be reserved for those showing proof of vaccination," reads an Aug. 3 post on the eatery's Facebook page. "We realize this is a difficult time and are trying to accommodate the diverse needs of all of our patrons-including seniors and those with immune system deficiencies."

Gov. Phil Murphy assured that patrons can still carry about business as usual. “Just be smart about travel and what your posture is when you’re in transit and when you get” to your destination, the governor said Aug. 9.

Vaccine mandates have proven to be one of the most politically and culturally polarizing topics. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, when NJBIZ reached out to 55 companies about their policies, including some of the state’s largest employers, eight declined to comment and 32 simply did not respond.

When thousands of concert-goers packed into Chicago’s Grant Park for the Lollapalooza music festival at the end of July, the event drew widespread scorn from public health experts. In New Jersey, organizers of live events - from concerts, to fairs and conventions - are bringing audiences back together, cautiously in some cases.

The announcement makes the State Judiciary, which handles the network of county and appeals courts, and the state Supreme Court, the largest government agency in New Jersey to mandate the inoculation for its workers.

Eligibility is limited to those with a maximum of 2,500 seats that hold at least two live performances a week, get at least half of their revenue from performances, and suffered a 25% loss between the second quarters - April to June - of 2019 and 2020.

The airline, which uses Newark Liberty International as one of its main hubs, says an estimated 90% of pilots and 80% of flight attendants have already gotten the jab. It plans on giving an extra payday to those vaccinated by Sept. 20.

The state is still looking at other avenues to improve inoculation rates with both carrot and sticks, but the governor stopped short of saying whether he would follow New York City's lead and require the shot to take part in most public activities.

Despite a statewide requirement that goes into effect on Sept. 7 for health care and other frontline workers to either be inoculated or adhere to routine testing, the governor has resisted the enactment of a universal standard at the state level.

The event scheduled for Oct. 6 and 7 at the Harborside Atrium in Jersey City expects a crowd turn-out of more than 5,000.

A nationwide poll from Monmouth University shows largely divided reactions to the latest development of the pandemic based on political affiliation.