PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is requiring all New Jersey state workers and teachers to get the COVID-19 vaccine or be subject to regular testing.
The mandate applies to pre-K through 12th grade teachers and staff in public, private, charter and parochial schools, as well as employees of public colleges and universities.
“All school personnel and members of the state work force have until October 18 to be fully vaccinated or face a requirement of regular testing. Again, that will be at least one or two times per week,” Murphy said at his regular COVID-19 media briefing in Trenton.
"We're not going to sacrifice the health of our kids or staff," Murphy said.
Administrators, custodians, substitute teachers, and other school employees are also subject to the vaccine requirement.
The state’s largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, expressed support for the mandate.
"We do not believe that meeting this order will be especially hard to do," Murphy said.
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"We have received multiple local reports that point to an overwhelming majority of our educational and classroom leaders having already taken their personal responsibility to their families and students and colleagues seriously, and gotten vaccinated."
Even though October 18 is well after the first day of school, Murphy said he believed the steps he was taking and the timing is “the right mix.”
Murphy has already said masks would be required for students and staff in schools.
Word of New Jersey's vaccination mandate comes on the same day that New York City announced a similar vaccine requirement for its public school teachers.