Governors in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon announce plans to end school mask mandates as COVID cases plummet
The decisions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon were announced Monday
Changes come amid a growing sense that the virus is never going to go away and Americans need to find a way to coexist with it
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the move 'a huge step back to normalcy for our kids'
Murphy cited the 'dramatic decline in our COVID numbers' in announcing the rollback
The omicron variant fueled a spike in infections over the holidays, but cases in the state are down 50% and hospitalizations dropped off by one-third since last week
By Associated Press
Published: 12:13 EST, 7 February 2022 | Updated: 07:57 EST, 8 February 2022
The governors of four states announced plans Monday to lift statewide mask requirements in schools by the end of February or March, citing the rapid easing of COVID-19´s omicron surge.
The decisions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon were announced as state and local governments grapple with which virus restrictions to jettison and which ones to keep in place. The changes also come amid a growing sense that the virus is never going to go away and Americans need to find a way to coexist with it.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the move 'a huge step back to normalcy for our kids' and said individual school districts will be free to continue requiring masks after the state mandate ends March 7.
Meanwhile, California announced plans to end its indoor masking requirement for vaccinated people next week, but masks will still be the rule for schoolchildren in the nation's most populous state.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10486091/Governor-ending-New-Jerseys-school-mask-mandate.html