More NJ reopenings: Pools, sports, salons

Outdoor swimming pools, outdoor sports, and personal care services reopened in New Jersey on Monday, June 22, with restrictions.

Pools

Outdoor municipal and private-club swimming pools also reopened on June 22. Summer camps will be able to use their pools when they reopen on July 6.

To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the New Jersey Department of Health has issued the following social distancing and mitigation guidance that must be followed:

• Staff must be screened for fever and symptoms on entering.

• Facilities are urged to stagger access to entry and exit points to avoid congregation, and reduce capacity to 50% for the facility and grounds.

• Social distancing of six feet is also required while in the water, as well as on the pool deck, with the exception of immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners.

• A sign-in sheet is to be maintained for all staff and patrons to facilitate potential contact tracing efforts.

• Patrons can use their own water play equipment, such as goggles, snorkels, fins, kickboards, pool noodles and toys, but sharing is prohibited and such equipment cannot be rented for patrons’ use.

• Staff and pool-goers are encouraged to wear a cloth face covering outside of the pool when social distancing of six feet cannot be maintained, with the exception of children under age 2 and lifeguards on active duty.

• Sharing furniture and equipment such as lounge chairs, towels, umbrellas and other equipment provided to patrons is prohibited except among immediate family members, caretakers, household members or romantic partners. Cleaning and disinfecting are required after each use.

Outdoor sports

Beginning June 22, organized sports will be able to restart outdoors. All sports will have to abide by a number of health and safety protocols in the guidance, including screenings for athletes, coaches, and staff, limited equipment sharing, and strong requirements for disinfecting and sanitizing equipment.

• Low-risk, non-contact sports, such as golf and tennis, can resume practice and competitions on June 22.

• Medium-risk sports, such as baseball, softball, soccer, and outdoor basketball, can resume no-contact practices and drills on June 22. Traditional practices and competitions are expected to be able to resume by July 6.

• High-risk sports, such as football, can resume no-contact practices and drills on June 22. Traditional practices and competitions are expected to be able to resume by July 20.

• Staff, parents, guardians, and visitors are required to wear cloth face coverings at practices and games. Athletes are encouraged to wear masks during downtime, but not during physical activity.

• Sports under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) must abide by those associations’ rules.

• All competitions or tournaments must abide by the limit on outdoor gatherings, which is currently 100 people but is expected to be 250 people by June 22, and 500 people by July 3.

Personal care

On June 22, personal care services will resume, including beauty salons, barber shops, cosmetology shops, spas (including day spas and medical spas but not saunas, steam rooms, or shared bathing facilities), electrology facilities, hair braiding shops, massage parlors, nail salons, tanning salons, and tattoo parlors.

Businesses licensed by the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling and the New Jersey Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy must follow the comprehensive health and safety standards issued by the Division of Consumer Affairs, including:

• Limiting services to appointment-only

• Performing prescreening and temperature checks of clients and staff prior to entering the facility

• Ensuring staff-client pairs remain at least six feet apart unless separated by physical barriers

• Requiring use of personal protective equipment, and requiring clients to wear face coverings at all times, regardless of the service they are receiving, unless face down on a massage table or where doing so would inhibit an individual’s health

• Adopting enhanced cleaning and disinfection practices

Tattoo parlors and tanning salons must follow health and safety standards issued by the Department of Health, including:

• Requiring appointments

• Performing prescreening and temperature checks of clients and staff prior to entering the facility

• Recommending clients wait in cars or away from facility if the waiting area cannot accommodate social distancing;

• Requiring face coverings

• Adopting appropriate infection control, disinfection, and sanitization practices.