Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) urged New Jerseyans to read the fine print on Governor Murphy’s updates to mask restrictions in his newest executive order.
“Before anyone rushes to heap praise on Governor Murphy for lifting New Jersey’s mask mandates, they better read the fine print. They’re in for a rude surprise.
“Office workers and anyone who works in an indoor setting that’s not open to the public will have to continue wearing masks under Governor Murphy’s newest executive order, regardless of whether or not they’re vaccinated.
“Where’s the science that says it’s safe for a vaccinated person to work unmasked in a supermarket where they might interact with hundreds of people, but it’s unsafe for them to work without a mask around a handful of people in a private office? It doesn’t make sense.
“If the vaccine works, shouldn’t a vaccinated person be protected everywhere? If so, why is the governor creating unnecessary confusion by treating workplaces differently?
“It’s not just workers who will remain stuck with unnecessary mask restrictions under Governor Murphy’s newest executive order, it’s our children too. In some cases, they’ll actually have greater restrictions this summer than they have today.
“Children who are playing Little League and other sports this spring safely without masks will have to put them back on to play outside at camp this summer. That’s utterly ridiculous.
“The governor also said to expect kids to wear masks in school this fall, even though children face little risk from the virus and every adult with concerns has easy access to the vaccine right now.
“This is no longer a public health risk, it’s a matter of personal choice. The rest of the state shouldn’t be forced to continue to compensate for a shrinking number of people who have made a conscious choice to avoid vaccination.
“If Governor Murphy is serious about ending the public health emergency, he should do it for real by wiping the slate clean.”