TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Monday mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for child daycare workers and the wearing of face masks for any child two years old or older. You might think this decision was based on medical studies, child development studies or perhaps even a CDC recommendation.
No, it was just ‘the right time’ to roll it out the Governor said as he continues sweeping his vaccination mandate from industry to industry, to the point where soon, everyone in New Jersey will be forced to vaccinate.
“Governor, can you explain why the mandate now for daycare centers? What information led to the decision today instead of say, August when a similar decision was made for teachers?” asked Associated Press reporter Mike Catalini.
Murphy said the decision was just part of his overall plan to expand mandatory vaccinations from industry to industry in New Jersey.
“No magic to today on daycare, but we had always said that we would always start with the most exposed elements of the workforce, clientele, etcetera, and then expand out from there, so we started with healthcare,” Murphy said. “We then went to educators, state workers, and we’re going to chop through communities as we see fit, and this is something that was always on the cards. We just hadn’t made the final call yet. We feel this is the right time to do it. No update on the post-mortem, but we’re committed to that. That hasn’t changed.”
Parents have been worried about the ability of their young children to keep their masks on. Stories are emerging in other areas where children are being forced to wear masks, crying and screaming to take them off. A viral video shared last week highlights the dilemma child daycare workers face trying to keep toddlers masked up.
“We appreciate that it may be difficult to keep very young kids in masks for the majority of the day, but we are looking for these settings to provide kids with as much support as necessary to ensure the safest possible environment,” Murphy said. “This part of the order takes effect this Friday, actually, September 24th. We know that there are already many childcare providers who are doing their utmost to protect the children in their care, their employees, and their communities, and we thank them. This order ensures that everyone is abiding by the same strong standards.”