New jersey governor phil murphy declares public health emergency

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Declares Public Health Emergency

January 11, 2022

TRENTON, NJ – After being defeated in the New Jersey Senate Democrats, who rejected New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s request for a 90-day pandemic power extension, Governor Phil Murphy today has declared a new public health state of emergency.

“Effective immediately, I have reinstated a Public Health Emergency in New Jersey.This step does not mean any new restrictions. It simply allows state government to continue to respond to the ongoing threat that COVID-19 poses to our daily lives,” the governor said today.

Murphy said the spread of omicron and the increase in positive tests since December factored into his decision and said he will rely on vaccination to get New Jersey to the other side of the pandemic.

The Governor said the Democrat legislature gave him the green light to redeclare a public health emergency.

“In consultation with the of the legislature, I have taken the necessary step in redeclaring a public health emergency,” Murphy said. “To ensure we keep moving forward in our response to covid, so we can put this response behind us.”

Murphy said his declaration doesn’t mean any new universal mandates, lockdowns, passports and indoor restriction limits. It does mean that students will continue to be forced to wear facemasks for the near future.

“In your day-to-day life, this won’t have any impact at all,” Murphy said. “This decision is based on science and facts, not politics and conspiracy theories.”

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.