Thursday marks one month since the Murphy administration lifted the mask mandate for schools, leaving the decision instead up to each district. “Many districts not only lifted the mask, but they lifted every other protective factor, including quarantining, including contact tracing. And that’s very concerning,” said Robin Cogan, a nurse in the Camden Public School District.
Testing is still required for unvaccinated teachers and staff, but the availability of at-home test kits is making it hard for local health departments to know whether the data they’re getting reflects the case numbers in their communities, including students. Sen. Kristin Corrado (R-Passaic) is seeking to move forward a bill that would put an end to the weekly state-required testing for unvaccinated school staff.
