Both New Jersey and Delaware will lift their statewide mask mandates for schools in a sign that the two Northeastern states are changing how they manage the COVID-19 pandemic as cases from the omicron surge continue to subside.
The Garden State will lift its mask mandate in schools for both students and employees beginning on March 7, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday, though districts will still be able to require masking to control any spikes in infections. The news was first reported by The New York Times.
"Balancing public health with getting back to some semblance of normalcy is not easy. But we can responsibly take this step due to declining COVID numbers and growth in vaccinations," Murphy said in a tweet.
New Jersey was among the hardest-hit states early in the pandemic, and Murphy implemented a variety of strict public health measures to control the virus, garnering both praise and criticism for the aggressive approach to controlling COVID-19's spread.
Murphy said employees and students can still choose to wear masks in schools where they aren't required.
Delaware's indoor mask mandate for public and private K-12 schools and child care facilities will end on March 31, Gov. John Carney announced on Monday as well.
He said the date would give districts and schools time to consider local masking requirements and allow the state to update its quarantine and contact tracing guidance.
"We're in a much better place than we were several weeks ago in the middle of the Omicron surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations," Carney said in a statement.
"I want to be clear about this point — COVID is still circulating in our communities. And the virus still poses a risk of serious illness, particularly among those who are not up to date on their vaccinations," he added. "But we have the tools to keep ourselves and each other safe."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
