Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday the end of the current vaccination requirement for health care workers. It was the state’s last remaining COVID-19 mandate. The decision comes as the federal government also lifted its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for workers and as transmission rates for the disease hit historic lows.
Workers in long-term care facilities, hospitals, adult medical day care programs and specialty treatment centers are among those impacted. However, individual employers within these systems may still require employees to be up to date on their vaccines. Hundreds of health care workers across the state were fired or quit after refusing to get the first vaccination against COVID-19.
New Jersey is facing a severe health care staff and nursing shortage and some in the industry are hopeful the end of the mandate could bring some relief.
