TRENTON, NJ – Senator Michael Testa and Senator Anthony Bucco expressed their dissatisfaction with Governor Murphy’s decision to lift COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare workers without ending New Jersey’s state of emergency.
While the governor recently ended a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, the two said the governor needs to cut out the nonsense and end the COVID-19 state of emergency across the board.
“Vaccine restrictions had a major impact on the healthcare industry’s ability to attract nurses to fill staffing positions. While ending vaccine requirements for healthcare workers is certainly the right thing to do, prolonging Governor Murphy’s unilateral authority by Executive Order must end,” said Bucco (R-25). “The pandemic is over and therefore New Jersey’s state of emergency should end as well. It is time for Governor Murphy to relinquish his emergency powers and work with the legislature to reinstate healthcare workers who were sidelined by vaccine mandates during the pandemic.”
They criticized the governor for the delayed response and emphasized the need to address the challenges caused by the pandemic and eliminate unnecessary directives. The senators highlighted that the national public health emergency had already ended, and they called on Governor Murphy to relinquish his emergency powers and collaborate with the legislature.
“I’m glad to see certain vaccine restrictions coming to an end, but it is utterly inexcusable that Governor Murphy hasn’t ended the pandemic state of emergency. The rest of the country has acknowledged that the pandemic is over, why can’t we?” questioned Testa (R-01). “The Murphy administration’s delayed reaction in lifting vaccine requirements for healthcare workers exacerbated staffing shortages that have plagued hospitals and healthcare facilities in New Jersey. It is time for Governor Murphy to give up his emergency powers so we can address these challenges and put an end to all unnecessary COVID-19 directives once and for all.”
They also sponsored several pieces of legislation aimed at prohibiting future COVID-19 vaccination mandates and bolstering employment in the healthcare industry.