Governor ending New Jersey's school mask mandate
ABC News
New Jersey’s governor plans to lift the statewide COVID-19 mask requirement in schools early next month in a major step toward getting back to normal as the omicron surge drops off
TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey's governor intends to lift the statewide COVID-19 mask requirement in schools early next month in a major step toward getting back to normal as the omicron surge drops off, his office said Monday.
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was scheduled to announce that the mandate would end March 7. It was not immediately clear whether individual school districts could continue to require masks.
New Jersey is one of a dozen states with mask mandates in schools, according to the nonpartisan National Academy for State Health Policy. New Jersey’s rule has been in place since classes resumed in person in September 2020.
The state's COVID-19 caseload is dropping after a spike around the holidays fueled by the omicron variant — a trend seen nationwide, too.
