TRENTON, NJ – Today, multiple news agencies are reporting that New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will soon mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all teachers in the state.
New Jersey would join several other states that require vaccinations for teachers as Delta variant cases multiply daily in public schools that have opened in the southern United States. Those states require teachers to get vaccinated or face weekly or regular COVID-19 testing.
Related: California orders all teachers to show proof of vaccination or get tested weekly
“Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to announce within days that New Jersey will require teachers to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, NJ Advance Media has learned,” NJ.com reported.
“NJEA strongly supports and has publicly promoted vaccination for all eligible individuals. We ran ads last spring featuring our members talking about the importance of vaccination. Vaccination is the best tool we have to better protect our schools and communities,” NJEA spokesman Steven Baker said in a statement to The New York Post.
“New Jersey does not yet have a vaccine or testing requirement for school employees. We believe that a ‘vaccine or testing’ requirement like we saw in Gov. Murphy’s EO covering healthcare workers is appropriate and responsible. If the Governor’s executive order requiring vaccination or regular testing in certain other sectors is extended to schools, we will work to ensure that it is implemented in a way that protects the health and welfare of everyone involved. In any case, we will continue to encourage and promote vaccination for school employees and all eligible New Jersey residents.”
Murphy has mandated that all students and faculty wear facemasks in school upon their return in September.