Schepisi on Murphy’s Refusal to Follow CDC Guidance to Lift Mask Mandate

Senator Holly Schepisi said Governor Phil Murphy should follow updated guidance issued yesterday by the CDC to remove mask and social distancing requirements for those who are vaccinated.

“The CDC offered clear guidance yesterday that there’s no need from a public health perspective for people who are vaccinated to wear masks or social distance indoors or outdoors, even around unvaccinated people,” said Schepisi (R-39). “The CDC says they are basing their new guidance on scientific studies that demonstrate vaccinated people are protected from the virus and incapable of transmitting it to others. There’s absolutely no justification for Governor Murphy to maintain burdensome restrictions that are not supported by science.”

In response to questions about when he would lift New Jersey’s outdated restrictions, Governor Murphy was quoted by NorthJersey.com today as saying, “I would guess in a matter of weeks we’ll get to the point where we can comfortably say inside, no matter what, you’re okay.”

Schepisi questioned the governor’s reasoning for maintaining unnecessary mandates for weeks longer.

“Governor Murphy’s level of comfort has nothing to do with science and it shouldn’t be used as the measure for maintaining restrictions that impact nine-million New Jerseyans,” Schepisi added. “According to the CDC, the science doesn’t support waiting weeks, it supports lifting unjustified mandates today.”