FLAT, ALLISON. %
>> DOCTOR, THANKS SO MUCH, STAY
SAFE. %
>>> DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, %
PROTESTERS STAGED THE FREEDOM %
MARCH FOR NEW JERSEY DEMANDING
THAT THE GOVERNOR REOPEN %
BUSINESSES CLOSED FOR TWO
MONTHS NOW.
NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT CATHY %
PARK JOINING ME FROM POINT %
PLEASANT BEACH, WHAT IS %
HAPPENING THERE TODAY?
ARE PEOPLE SOCIAL DISTANCING? %
>> HEY, ALLISON, YEAH. %
SO THE REOPENED RALLY IS STILL %
GOING ON. %
PROBABLY BEEN GOING ON A COUPLE
HOURS NOW. %
BUT THE CROWD HAS THINNED DOWN %
SIGNIFICANTLY FROM WHAT WE SAW %
EARLIER TODAY.
BUT, HERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS %
THEY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN, THEY
WANT A LOOSENING OF THE
RESTRICTIONS, THEY BELIEVE THAT
THE SCIENCES DOESN’T MEET THE %
REGULATIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE. %
THEY ALSO WANT TO SEND A
MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR BECAUSE
HE FEELS -- THEY FEEL LIKE THE %
EXECUTIVE ORDERS %
AREN’T CONSTITUTIONAL, WE SPOKE
WITH THE ORGANIZER EARLIER %
TODAY, HERE IS WHAT SHE TOLD %
US, TAKE A LISTEN. %
>> NUMBER ONE PURPOSE IS TO
FIGHT THE TYRANNY THAT THIS %
SHUT DOWN HAS TAUGHT US.
DESPITE THE TYRANNY THAT THE %
GOVERNOR IS IMPOSING ON THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF
NEW JERSEY, WE DON’T
BELIEVE IN HIS EXECUTIVE
ORDERS. %
>> THEY ALSO ADDED THAT THEY %
FEEL LIKE IT’S UNFAIR THAT SOME
OF THESE BIG BOX STORES LIKE
TARGET AND WAL-MART, THEY ARE %
ACTUALLY MAKING MONEY RIGHT NOW
WHEN THESE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE
STILL SHUT DOWN AND YOU ASKED %
ABOUT %
SOCIAL DISTANCING, I MEAN, YOU %
HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK BEHIND ME, %
PEOPLE ARE SHOULDER TO %
SHOULDER, A LOT MORE
DENSE THAN EARLIER IN THE DAY.
IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
GATHERINGS SHOULD BE UNDER 25, %
I WOULD SAY WE HAD A COUPLE
HUNDRED PEOPLE OUT HERE TODAY. %
AND THE POLICE CHIEF SAID THEY
HAVE OFFICERS, YOU KNOW,
MONITORING THE SITUATION. %
SO FAR IT’S BEEN PEACEFUL. %
BUT HE SAID THAT THEY WILL BE %
USING DISCRETION IF THINGS GET
OUT OF CONTROL.
ALLISON. %
CATHY, WE KNOW THROUGHOUT THE
JERSEY SHORE, BOARD WALKS AND %
BEACHES ARE OPEN, THEY HAVE %
TIGHTER RESTRICTIONS THAN %
USUAL.
WHAT ARE THE RESTRICTIONS AT %
THE BEACH LOCATIONS IN JERSEY
AND HOW ARE THEY ENFORCING
THEM? %
>> YEAH, SO, ALLISON I THINK
IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
LOCAL OFFICIALS DESPITE THE %
ORDER THAT THE GOVERNOR %
MENTIONED A COUPLE DAYS AGO %
AHEAD OF THE MEMORIAL DAY
HOLIDAY IT REALLY VARIES BY %
JURISDICTION. %
FOR EXAMPLE WE ARE AT POINT %
PLEASANT BEACH AND THE BOARD
WALK IS SHUT DOWN AND THE MAYOR
SAID IT’S BECAUSE OF STAFFING %
CONCERNS, THEY ARE LIMITED ON %
STAFFING RIGHT NOW. %
BUT ALSO BECAUSE CROWD
CONCERNS. %
BUT YOU MENTIONED THE JERSEY %
SHORE HAS GOTTEN THE GREEN %
LIGHT TO REOPEN. %
AND SOME OF THOSE RESTRICTIONS
THAT NEED TO BE IN PLACE, OF %
COURSE SOCIAL DISTANCING WHEN
YOU ARE ON THE BEACH, KEEPING 6
FEET DISTANCE.
SHOWERS, CHANGING ROOMS,
BATHROOMS ARE ALSO OPEN BUT
THEY NEED TO BE CLEANED
REGULARLY. %
THE AMUSEMENT PARK, THE RIDES %
SHUT DOWN.
RESTAURANTS ON THE BOARD WALK
ALSO NEED TO KEEP IT DELIVERY %
AND TAKEOUT ONLY. %
>> CATHY, WE KNOW THE JERSEY
SHORE IS A MAJOR ECONOMIC %
DRIVER FOR THE STATE IN THE
SUMMERTIME. %
TOURISM ECONOMIC IS PROJECTING %
A 32% DROP IN TOURIST SPENDING
IN JERSEY THIS YEAR, HOW ARE %
THOSE BUSINESS HAS CAN’TING AND
WHAT ARE THEY TELLING BUT THE
KIND OF SUMMER THEY ARE %
EXPECTING EVEN IF SOME OF THOSE
SMALL
BUSINESSES THAT ARE CLOSED ARE %
ALLOWED TO REOPEN? %
>> YEAH, ALLISON, IT IS A REAL %
BIG PROBLEM RIGHT NOW. %
IT’S A HUGE CHALLENGE BECAUSE %
THIS IS A SEASONAL THING. %
SO FROM NOW UNTIL LABOR DAY, %
THIS IS WHERE THEY MAKE MOST OF
THE MONEY AND FOR EXAMPLE WHERE
WE ARE, THE BOARD WALK IS SHUT %
DOWN SO THEY ARE -- EVEN IN THE
DOWNTOWN AREA THEY ARE DOING %
CURB SIDE ONLY 0, SO THAT IS
ALSO ANOTHER CHALLENGE. %
WE SPOKE WITH A STORE SHOP %
OPENER, HIS SALES ARE DOWN75%.
HE SAID SOME PEOPLE ARE DOING
WORSE THAN HIM.
SOME WILL HAVE TO SHUT DOWN
PERMANENTLY. %
REALLY HE WAS SO FRUSTRATED %
BECAUSE THE BOARD WALK ISN’T %
OPEN, TYPICALLY YOU WOULD SEE %
60,000 PEOPLE PER DAY. %
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE CROWD
BEHIND US, WHEN WE WERE ON THE %
BOARD WALK EARLIER IT’S EMPTY. %
>> YEAH, I MEAN, CATHY, THIS IS
A TIME WHEN SO MANY OF THOSE %
BUSINESSES MAKE THE MONEY THEY
NEED TO GET %
THROUGH THE YEAR.
A LOT OF THEM ARE STRUGGLING %