SEASIDE PARK, NJ – After being confronted with people not wearing masks at the beach in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy said, “When in doubt, wear a mask.” Murphy was interviewed by NBC’s Meet The Press from the Governor’s Mansion at Island Beach State Park.
“This thing is lethal, New Jersey’s paid an enormous price,” he said. “We’re starting to see small spikes and reinfection from folks coming back from places like Myrtle Beach and Florida,” Murphy said. “We need a national strategy and masking has to be at the core of that.”
Murphy continues to tout his state’s success despite ranking second in the nation in both cases and deaths related to COVID-19. In the early days of COVID-19, most states were worried about infections from New Jersey and New York, now as the virus has made its way through New Jersey, Murphy has turned the table, declaring travelers from 16 states enforce a 14-day quarantine upon their return.
“We have to ask people to do the right thing and be responsible,” Murphy said. “So if folks are coming back to our state from a hot spot, we’re asking folks to self-quarantine. It’s a personal responsibility.”
Murphy said new infections in New Jersey, through contact tracing, have been traced back to a wedding in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
“It’s become almost not even debatable,” Murphy said of a national facemask requirement. “I think it should be a national requirement.”