PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Even though there is no federal guidance on rolling back mask mandates in schools, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy went on national television Sunday to defend the state's decision to leave it up to the districts to choose.
On CBS' "Face the Nation," Murphy discussed his administration's reasoning. Starting March 7, districts will be able to set their own mask policies.
"This thing is going from pandemic to endemic," said Murphy, referring to the state's falling COVID-19 numbers, "and I would use the word 'dramatically.' Rate of transmission, positivity rate, hospitalizations, cases, in-school transmissions, all going in a dramatically good direction."
He said New Jersey and New York got hit early in this wave, and the experience has been very different from the average American state's experience. He added he is certain it's only a matter of time until federal guidance is in place.
"We feel it is the responsible step to take to allow districts, if they so choose, based on their local health realities, working with their local health officers to make a decision on their own," continued Murphy.
"My gut tells me, particularly as we get into warmer weather in the spring and assuming the virus continues to go in the right direction, you'll have the overwhelming amount of districts following suit and lifting the mandate."
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