Jersey Shore is reopening its beaches just in time for Memorial Day weekend

• New Jersey will be opening public and private beaches starting May 22, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced at a press conference on May 14.
• Earlier this month, the state reopened its golf courses and state parks.
• As of Thursday, New Jersey had over 140,000 cases of the coronavirus, though Gov. Murphy announced that the state has flattened its curve of new infections.
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New Jersey's Jersey Shore, made famous by the MTV reality show of the same name, will be open in time for Memorial Day weekend, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced at a press conference on May 14. The popular strip of beaches will reopen starting May 22 with "social distancing guidelines in place." Murphy wrote on Twitter that "The Shore is central to our Jersey identity and we want to ensure that families can safely enjoy it this summer."

"The Jersey Shore, after all, is where memories are made," Murphy said at his daily press briefing."The last thing any of us wanted was for a summertime down the shore to be a memory."

Effective May 22, all public and private beaches in Jersey must enforce capacity and admission limitations and six feet demarcations in certain areas; special events are still banned, and playgrounds, rides, picnic areas, and other water play areas are to remain closed. Restaurants can also to remain open, but for takeout or curbside pickup only, according to NBC Philadelphia.

Murphy also said that face masks will not be required, but officials "highly recommend" that people wear them, "particularly when social distancing is difficult to maintain, such as waiting in line for a slice of boardwalk pizza."

The governor also noted that the shore towns along the coastline are "a tremendous driver of local jobs and revenues" during the summer season.

Earlier this month, Gov. Murphy announced that golf courses and state parks could reopen with limited capacity. As of Thursday, New Jersey has over 140,000 cases of the coronavirus, with nearly 10,000 reported deaths. The state passed its peak last month, with recent data showing a decline in hospitalizations.

"The data we are seeing gives us confidence that we can begin the careful and responsible restart of the economy to get people back to work and begin to set the stage for the steps to come," Murphy said.