New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced the state will lift the indoor mask mandate ahead of Memorial Day weekend but lectured New Jerseyans, warning it is “not a license to be a knucklehead.”
Beginning Friday, May 28, the state will lift the indoor mask mandate, although businesses will be able to require customers and employees to wear a face-covering in their respective establishments if they so choose.
The state will continue to require masks for public-facing state offices and worksites “that are closed to the public, including warehousing and manufacturing facilities,” per the governor.
Emphasizing the importance of following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines, Murphy said masks will still be required in healthcare settings, homeless shelters, public transportation, transportation hubs, childcare centers, elementary and secondary schools, and youth summer camps.
While there is no official mandate, Murphy is “strongly” encouraging unvaccinated individuals to continue to wear masks in “any indoor public setting,” framing it as a form of personal responsibility:
He also issued a word of warning, stating, “This pandemic is not over.”
“Lifting the mask mandate is not a license to be a knucklehead,” Murphy said. “Lifting the mask mandate is simply acknowledging how far we’ve come together and that, together, we’ll cross the finish line”:
Additionally, the state is lifting the social distancing requirement for outdoor settings. It is also lifting restrictions on dance floors at bars and restaurants.
Next week, on June 4, the state will lift all indoor gathering limits:
More than four million New Jerseyans have been “fully vaccinated,” according to the governor:
Murphy’s announcement follows other governors taking the steps Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) took months ago, reopening the Sunshine State despite criticisms from the establishment media and blue state governors, the latter of whom did not fare better in terms of new virus cases although they left restrictions in place for months on end.