TRENTON, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy, who has refused to share his own COVID-19 science and data with anyone outside of his inner circle in government is now upset because the Center for Disease Control isn’t sharing their own science and data with him. Murphy is now criticizing the CDC, saying their recent decision to not suggest self-quarantining after international and interstate travel is “reckless”.
Whether or not it’s as reckless as the Governor’s March decision to send infected patients into nursing homes and long term care facilities will remain to be seen after the Department of Justice opened an investigation into Murphy’s pandemic misstep.
“The CDC has been a consistent, credible, and reliable guide for our nation for decades, providing clear and science-based guidance on everything from infectious disease to vaccines. That role is vital to our collective public health and it must continue. This 180-degree reversal of COVID-19 testing guidelines is reckless, and not based on science and has the potential to do long-term damage to the institution’s reputation,” Murphy said. ““CDC and HHS have not shared their scientific rationale for this change in policy, which substitutes sound science-based public health guidance with the President’s misinformation. This abrupt and ill-informed shift threatens the robust testing regimes our states have worked tirelessly to stand up with our federal partners.”
Murphy said his own teams of health experts and those of other governors in the Tri-State area are the reason why the state has been able to flatten the curve and prolong a nearly six month chokehold on small businesses.
“Health experts recommend testing close contacts of individuals with COVID-19 to identify and prevent asymptomatic spread. This type of robust testing by our states has been a key factor in our success so far to flatten the curve in the tristate area,” he said, saying he will not use the CDC travel guideline for New Jersey. “New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will continue to follow the advice of health experts to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19, and therefore will not be changing our guidance that prioritizes testing for this population.”