After photos circulated on social media and a local Monmouth County news site claiming to show Gov. Phil Murphy dining indoors at Jersey Shore restaurant in violation of his own coronavirus shutdown orders, the governor offered some sharp criticism Monday of those who were quick to call him a hypocrite without all the facts.
“If someone out there implies that, ‘Hey, even he’s doing this, so that means you could do it.’ If one person gets infected as a result of that or if one person goes to the hospital as a result of that or, God forbid, ... someone’s life is lost as a result of that,” Murphy said. “That’s blood on their hands, man. I don’t know how you can live with yourself.”
Murphy dined at Martell’s Water Edge in Bayville on Saturday night and posted a short video with his wife Tammy as they sat under an awning during a torrential thunderstorm storm that swept through the area. The Murphys and other patrons at some point sought refuge in an outdoor bar and seating area under a fixed roof with television mounted to the ceiling that’s part of Martell’s waterfront tiki bar.
At least one photo showed him masked. The person who posted the image did not accuse Murphy of violating the indoor dining order and later clarified that it was an outdoor portion of Martell’s, despite acknowledging he’s not a fan of the governor.
Still, others including state Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth, ran with a separate social media post that co-opted the image.
O’Scanlon, who has been a thorn in the governor’s side at times over Murphy’s decisions to impose tight coronavirus restrictions, retweeted the images, adding, “Wow. The hypocrisy is astounding!” An hour later, O’Scanlon tweeted: “So I heard from the Governor’s office. Told that he - and those other patrons - were dining outside and only took shelter inside during a downpour. If that’s true then fair enough. Maybe some other patrons can shed light.”
The original tweet O’Scanlon responded to has since been deleted, but the story on the local Monmouth news site remains online and continues to be shared on social media.
“I have not eaten indoors, other than my house,” Murphy said at his regular COVID-19 briefing in Trenton, the same day he announced indoor dining will not be allowed to resume as planned beginning Thursday.
“Not only did I eat outside with my wife, daughter and her friend on Saturday night, we sat in the driving rain and I’ve ruined everything in my pockets, including my wallet that I’ve cherished holding on to for many years,” Murphy said, holding up what he said was a new wallet he bought to replace the rain-soaked one.
“I would just say this: I don’t care if you agree with me on politics. I don’t really care what you think of me personally, I think you probably know that by now,” Murphy said. “This is for the greater good everybody, this is to behave responsibly, to do the right thing.”
Murphy didn’t single out O’Scanlon by name during his pointed remarks during the press conference.
“There are times we sharply disagree. There are times we agree,” O’Scanlon said after Murphy’s remarks. “We figure out how to move our relationship forward.”
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New Jersey has now lost at least 14,992 lives to the outbreak with 171,272 total positive tests as of Monday. New Jersey started reporting presumed fatalities last week with another 1,854 deaths.
New Jersey is in the third week of its Stage 2 reopening.
The latest restrictions lifted were on indoor shopping malls, which opened to customers Monday after they were closed since March 17. Masks are mandatory and malls have to adhere to 50% capacity limits.
New Jersey motor vehicle inspection stations are also reopening Monday with a slate of additional permitted activities including amusement parks, arcades and indoor dining set to reopen Thursday.
The state could move to Stage 3 of its reopening plan — a phase that includes expanded indoor dining, reopened bars and entertainment with restrictions — within weeks, Murphy has said.
Murphy has not committed to a date for Stage 3, which also includes expanding personal care and critical in-office work.
Hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, tattoo parlors, and other personal-care businesses were allowed to reopen on June 22, as well as pools and outdoor, non-contact organized sports. And beginning July 6, both youth day camps and in-person summer school can operate.
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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.