[Update: Governor Murphy has extended the public health emergency several additional times, and it is now in place until approximately January 20, 2021.]
On July 2, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order 162 (“EO 162”) extending the state’s Public Health Emergency by thirty days, i.e., until approximately August 2, 2020. Pursuant to EO 162, all Executive Orders and actions taken by any Executive Branch departments and agencies (including Administrative Orders) that were adopted in whole or in part based on the current Public Health Emergency will remain in full force and effect. A declared public health emergency gives Gov. Murphy and state department leaders expanded authority to respond to a crisis such as COVID-19.
Gov. Murphy initially declared both a State of Emergency and a Public Health Emergency on March 9, 2020, in Executive Order 103. While the State of Emergency will stay in place indefinitely until lifted, the Public Health Emergency automatically terminates after thirty days, unless specifically extended. EO 151 is the fourth such extension, with the first having been issued on April 7, 2020, in Executive Order 119, the second on May 6, 2020, in Executive Order 138 and the third on June 4, 2020 in Executive Order 151.