Phil murphy extends new jersey public health emergency, "all orders remain in full force"

TRENTON, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 151. The Order extends the Public Health Emergency that was declared on March 9, 2020 through Executive Order No. 103, extended on April 7, 2020 through Executive Order No. 119, and extended again on May 6, 2020 through Executive Order No. 138. Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, a declared public health emergency expires after 30 days unless renewed.

“As we move forward with our restart and recovery plan, maintaining access to all resources available is essential,” said Governor Murphy. “Extending the Public Health Emergency allows us to continue to work to save lives, while safely and securely reopening our state’s economy.”

Executive Order No. 151 extends all Executive Orders issued under the Governor’s authority under the Emergency Health Powers Act. It also extends all actions taken by any Executive Branch departments and agencies in response to the Public Health Emergency presented by the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Even as the rate of reported new cases of COVID-19 decreases, the ongoing risks presented by COVID-19 mean that many of the State’s current measures must remain in place, both to reduce additional new infections and to save lives,” Murphy said. “The fact that the spread of COVID-19 has been limited by the State’s emergency measures does not in any way suggest that the ongoing Public Health Emergency has dissipated, because absent social distancing measures, public health experts anticipate that the spread of COVID-19 would again significantly increase.”

Murphy said the renewal of the declaration of the ongoing Public Health Emergency is necessary to allow the State to continue with the Plan to allow for the methodical and strategic reopening of the State, consistent with the State’s authority under the EHPA and the renewal of the declaration of the ongoing Public Health Emergency is also necessary to ensure that the State can swiftly respond to take all appropriate actions should the rate of reported new cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey, number of individuals being admitted to hospitals for COVID-19, or rate of reproduction for COVID-19 infections in New Jersey increase once more.

You can read the full executive order here.

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