Gov. Phil Murphy is set to announce New Jersey will require students and staff members in kindergarten through 12th grade to wear masks after all at the start of the new school year due to the state’s rising COVID-19 numbers, NJ Advance Media has confirmed.
Murphy will unveil the new rules during a public event Friday, according to two sources with knowledge of the governor’s plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The governor announced in late June the state was planning not to have a statewide mandate for students and staff wear masks when the upcoming academic year begins and would instead leave it up to individual districts to determine their own rules on face coverings. He has been adamant that Garden State schools will resume full-day in-person instruction in the fall, with no virtual option.
Murphy said as recently as last week New Jersey still planned to have no statewide school mask requirements, but the governor has repeatedly said those plans could change if the state’s coronavirus figures get “dramatically” worse.
Read more at NJ.com.
{Matzav.com}
