New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday signed an executive order lifting the mandate that teachers and school workers, people who work in child care facilities and state contractors who are unvaccinated must undergo routine COVID testing.
The change takes effect immediately for school districts and child care facilities, and will take effect Sept. 1 for state contractors, according to a statement from Murphy’s office. The testing program for New Jersey state employees will also end Sept. 1.
The move by Murphy comes mere weeks ahead of the start of the school year.
“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 said in the statement. “With children as young as 6 months old now eligible for vaccines and millions of New Jerseyans vaccinated and boosted, more of our residents are safe from severe illness due to COVID-19.”
The change comes nearly 2 1/2 years into the pandemic, as the Garden State has seen more than 2.24 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. More than 31,300 people in the state have died from the virus as of Monday.
Murphy’s executive order Monday rolls back requirements set in place in August 2021. Schools, child care facilities and state contractors can still maintain their own vaccination or testing policies.
Murphy lifted the state requirements four days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it was loosening COVID safety guidelines. The CDC dropped its recommendation that people quarantine if they come into close contact with an infected person and also said people no longer need to keep at least 6 feet apart.
The COVID testing requirements were met with a wave of controversy from opponents and as recently as last month, Republican lawmakers called on Murphy to lift the mandate.
Late last month, state Sen. Kristin Corrado, a Republican who represents Bergen, Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties, sent a letter to Murphy saying she had spoken to people in the education system who were worried they would have to take “unnecessary and redundant weekly tests.”
New Jersey Education Association President Sean M. Spiller said that Murphy had followed guidance to keep schools safe and running, praising the decision to lift the requirement for testing ahead of the school year.
“This decision to end mandatory screening tests for unvaccinated individuals, which follows the latest CDC guidance, is another encouraging step back toward normalcy,” he said. “We will continue to advocate for policies that keep students and staff safe as we return to school buildings for another school year.”
Schools and child care facilities will still have to report vaccination and testing data to the state Department of Health. Certain workers in health care, congregate care and correctional facilities will still have to be up-to-date on their COVID vaccinations, including a booster dose.
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(Inquirer staff writer Melanie Burney contributed to this article.)
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