Governor Ends Key COVID-19 Mandate for Unvaccinated New Jersey Teachers, State Workers
The governor of New Jersey on Monday did away with a COVID-19 testing requirement for unvaccinated school workers and many other public employees, according to his office.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order (pdf) Monday that lifts the mandate that all school districts and contractors make sure their workers have either received the COVID-19 vaccine or get regular testing, coming days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed its COVID-19 guidance that differentiated unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals.
“Today’s executive order follows guidance from public health officials at the CDC regarding responsible steps states can take as we continue to adjust to the endemic reality of COVID-19,” Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement. Murphy added that he encourages people to “stay up-to-date on their vaccination and take other precautions.”
The move comes with just a few weeks to go before the school year begins for most municipalities. The change goes into effect for school workers immediately, and it will apply to state contractors on Sept. 1, according to the governor’s office.
New Jersey state health care and prison workers will still be mandated to be vaccinated and have at least one booster dose, however. School districts, meanwhile, can individually mandate that workers or contractors be vaccinated or require routine testing as Murphy’s Monday order impacted such policies at the statewide level.
In a sweeping reversal of guidance last week, the CDC no longer recommends the six-foot social distancing policy, quarantining for people who test positive for COVID-19 but have no symptoms, and it also removed recommendations to mandate testing for staff and students at schools nationwide.
More strikingly, people who are unvaccinated are no longer needed to quarantine after exposure to the virus, according to the agency, which is the same recommendation for people who are fully vaccinated.
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