TRENTON, NJ – If the past paves the road of the future, then you can expect New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to implement an aggressive indoor mask mandate in the near future. As New Jersey reached COVID-19 levels not seen since this past January, Governor Murphy has a problem.
On one hand, he promised voters in November that he’s not going to implement a broader mandate or lockdown after the election. On the other hand, people are still getting COVID-19, even fully vaccinated New Jerseyans. Both New York City and Philadelphia, New Jersey’s two large bordering cities, have indoor mask mandates.
When confronted about his follow-the-leader history when it comes to New York, Murphy said New Jersey isn’t there yet, but said all options stay on the table.
“We think what we’ve got in place meets the moment in terms of masking and what New York is doing, but that’s something that we will – obviously, all options stay on the table,” Murphy said Monday. “
Both New York City and Philadelphia now have vaccine mandates and New Jersey could be next.
“Remember, getting vaccinated, particularly among the younger kids, is a newer reality in terms of their eligibility. I would just ask folks, please, if you’re eligible, get vaccinated. If you’re eligible, get boosted. We know those are the two steps that we can take in addition to wearing these [masks] inside,” Murphy said.