Looking to prevent a catastrophic summer season for local businesses and employees, the Atlantic County Freeholder Board set aside partisanship and unanimously passed a resolution asking Governor Murphy to reopen indoor dining and other restricted businesses in the county. Cape May County Freeholder candidates Brendan Sciarra and Liz Casey issued the following statement calling on the Cape May County Freeholder Board to follow their lead:

“I applaud the Atlantic County Freeholder Board for setting politics aside and doing what’s right for their constituents,” said Sciarra. “Unfortunately, the Cape May County Freeholder Board has not shown the same level of advocacy for our local businesses. A proposal was released in May for the “safe, thoughtful, and progressive reopening of Cape May County,” but since then it has been crickets. During these extraordinary times, we need leaders who are going to fight every day for our county. This is not the time for complacency.”

“We call on the Freeholder Board to pass a resolution requesting the Governor to lift the ban on indoor dining and other restricted businesses,” said Casey. “Cape May County is not Hudson County or Essex County; we continue to be the county with the least number of cases in the state. We have consistently shown we are responsible in combating the pandemic and local businesses are doing their share. With only two weeks until Labor Day, we must do all we can to give businesses and employees the opportunity to save their livelihoods.”

Sciarra and Casey expressed their confidence that businesses will apply the appropriate safeguards needed to allow limited indoor dining. “Local businesses have had months preparing for a new approach to safely serve their customers with limited space, crowd control, masks and disinfectants,” added Casey. “Big box stores and casinos have been allowed to open their doors to patrons. We trust Cape May County establishments will follow guidelines and safely serve their customers.”

“As I previously stated back in May, when I urged the Governor to reopen small businesses, local business owners and their employees are dedicated hard working citizens standing ready to be responsible stewards of the public health, equipped to socially distance, and will do a great job following guidelines to protect the health and safety of their customers,” concluded Sciarra.