In April of 2020, New Jersey was deep in the grip of a sweeping lockdown ordered by Governor Phil Murphy.
Schools stood empty, businesses were shuttered, and residents were confined to their homes under Executive Order 107, signed weeks earlier on March 21, 2020.
The measures, intended to curb the spread of COVID-19, were broadly supported at the time, including by most Republicans in state office who saw little room to challenge the narrative of public health necessity.
Five years later, as we reflect on that era, the costs of compliance—both economic and personal—demand a reckoning.
The lockdown’s enforcement, often heavy-handed, led to what many now view as “COVID crimes” against individual freedom, where ordinary citizens faced punishment for simply trying to live their lives.
The lockdown’s reach was staggering.
Non-essential retail, gyms, salons, and recreational venues were forced to close indefinitely, while social gatherings of any kind were banned.
While the government shut down Main Street mom and pops, the big box stores were allowed to operate because, as we know now, COVID-19 only spread on Main Street, not Wall Street.
But seriously, Murphy’s orders, detailed in a March 2020 announcement, mandated that all public and private schools cease operations and that businesses like gyms and theaters shut down, with restaurants limited to takeout only.
The rationale was to “flatten the curve,” but the consequences were immediate and severe.
Small businesses, the backbone of New Jersey’s economy, crumbled under the weight of prolonged closures. By mid-2020, reports estimated that one-third of small businesses in the state faced permanent closure, with sectors like hospitality and retail hit hardest.
What stands out most, however, are the stories of individuals punished for defying these mandates—not out of malice, but out of necessity or principle.
Consider Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, where owners Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti reopened in May 2020, arguing that their business was essential for physical and mental health.
Their defiance led to arrests on July 27, 2020, with charges including fourth-degree contempt and violation of a disaster control law.
The gym faced over 80 summonses, and the owners were vilified, yet they persisted, moving equipment outdoors to keep serving their community. Their case wasn’t unique.
In April 2020, a barber in Hackensack was fined thousands for cutting hair to make ends meet, despite taking precautions like masking and sanitizing.
Across the state, people were cited for gathering in small groups or even walking alone in parks, as Murphy’s April 7, 2020, order closed all state and county parks after claims of overcrowding.
Under Murphy’s directive, people were even being cited for praying and going to church!
At the same time, Murphy was caught on several occasions breaking his own rules, dining in a restaurant in Monmouth County and sitting at bar in Ocean County. Later, he would join the summer of love and protest arm in arm with the George Floyd protesters, shouting for equality and justice, as average New Jerseyans just wanted their own personal freedoms back.
These enforcement actions exposed a troubling double standard.
While small businesses and individuals faced swift penalties, larger retailers like Walmart and liquor stores remained open, deemed “essential” without clear justification.
Protests against the lockdown, like those outside Murphy’s home in November 2020, were met with dismissal, with the governor warning that further restrictions were “on the table.”
Meanwhile, Murphy himself faced scrutiny for dining maskless with his family at a restaurant, highlighting a disconnect between the rules imposed and the behavior of those enforcing them.
The human toll of these policies extended beyond arrests and fines.
Mental health crises surged, with a 2020 study from the CDC noting a spike in anxiety and depression linked to isolation. Children lost a year of in-person education, with low-income students suffering the most from unequal access to remote learning.
The economic fallout was equally grim: New Jersey’s unemployment rate hit 16.6% in April 2020, among the highest in the nation. Yet, dissent was often silenced. Republicans, who could have challenged the blanket approach, largely acquiesced, leaving figures like Smith and Trumbetti to fight alone.
Five years on, the question lingers: was it worth it? The lockdown’s proponents point to lives saved, but critics argue the models justifying it—like those predicting millions of deaths—proved overstated.
New Jersey’s COVID-19 death rate, at 0.05% of cases by late 2020, was high but not catastrophic, and the long-term harm to society remains undeniable. The “COVID crimes”—arrests for going to parks, running gyms, or cutting hair—weren’t just overreach; they were a betrayal of the principles of liberty and proportionality.
As we mark this anniversary, we must learn from 2020. Blanket mandates, enforced without nuance, erode trust and livelihoods.
Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike should commit to never again sacrificing freedom so readily. The scars of New Jersey’s lockdown remind us that good intentions don’t justify punishing those who simply sought to endure.
