PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and recommending vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks indoors.
The CDC revised its recommendations on Tuesday in light of the growing spread of COVID-19 cases, specifically the Delta variant.
Gov. Phil Murphy recommends masks be worn in crowded indoor settings, especially ones that involve close contact with others — who may not be fully vaccinated or at all.
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COVID-19 has surged again across the country, though cases in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are not as high as in other states. New Jersey has one of the highest vaccination rates in the U.S.
Should the Garden State’s numbers rise significantly, Murphy said they “reserve the right to take more drastic action, including a statewide mask mandate.”
In a joint statement with Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, the governor said, “Our metrics are trending in the wrong direction, and new data suggests the Delta variant is more transmissible even among vaccinated individuals, which is why we are making this strong recommendation.
“We equally encourage every unvaccinated resident or visitor to get vaccinated. The vaccines are proven safe and highly effective, and are the surest way we can end this pandemic.”
Murphy’s announcement is a recommendation, not a requirement. Likewise, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has said he is not considering any statewide mask mandate at this time.
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