Today’s Coronavirus News for New Jersey Business

Restaurant owners incensed by delay on indoor dining. Unemployment benefits extended. Congress looks to push back deadline on applying for PPP loans. Wildwood boardwalk is coming back to life.

Restaurant Owners Incensed by Delay on Indoor Dining – Restaurant owners are criticizing Gov. Murphy for pausing the resumption of indoor dining in New Jersey. Owners of some eateries say they are out thousands of dollars that they spent on food gearing up to welcome patrons back inside. (NJTV)

Gov. Murphy Says the Delay is About Combating the Virus – Gov. Murphy defended his decision to indefinitely postpone the reopening of indoor dining. “We’re trying to stay one step ahead of this virus,” he said. (nj.com)

Unemployment Benefits Extended – Unemployed workers will be eligible for an additional 20 weeks of unemployment benefits, the state Labor Department said today. Until now, workers maxed out at 39 weeks. Workers will be automatically enrolled into extended benefits as their federal extension ends, the agency said. (nj.com)

Deadline for Business Grants Gets Extended – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority is extending the deadline to July 8 for businesses in Essex, Passaic and Ocean counties to apply for grants under the Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program. Businesses can receive grants of up to $10,000. (ROI-NJ)

Congress Looks to Push Back Deadline on Applying for PPP Loans – The U.S. Senate passed legislation yesterday that would extend the deadline to Aug. 8 for applying for small-business loans under the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), slated to end June 30. The extension is not final until approved by the House of Representatives. (The Hill)

State Pushes Back Big Payments – After passing a stopgap budget, Gov. Murphy and lawmakers must find billions of dollars by October for big-budget items. Among the items, deferred to the fall, are a $951 million quarterly state-worker pension contribution and a $468 million payment to K-12 school districts. (NJ Spotlight)

Wildwood Boardwalk is Coming Back to Life – Many of the attractions run by Morey’s Piers on the Wildwood boardwalk are reopening tomorrow, July 2, including Mariner’s Pier, Raging Waters Water Park, and the Runaway Tram on Surfside Pier. For more information, click here.

Buy From New Jersey Businesses – To promote the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Buy NJ’ campaign, put this ‘postcard’ on your website and share it on social media with the hashtags #BuyNJ and #BuyLocalNJ.

Get Counted – New Jersey residents can respond to the 2020 Census to ensure the state gets its fair share of federal funding. The Census provides valuable data for businesses, including population trends, growth projections and demographic information. Spread the word! Respond to the Census.

N.J. Coronavirus Cases – New Jersey Residents
(Source: N.J. Health Department)

Total Confirmed Deaths Reported: 13,181, up from 13,138 yesterday.

Total Positive COVID-19 Tests Reported: 171,667, up from 171,272 yesterday.

For data on hospitalizations and discharges, click here.