This browser does not support the Video element.
New Jersey to lift COVID-19 indoor mask mandates in most settings Friday
Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, Chris O'Connell talks with people who are thrilled to see the end of masks in N.J. and ready to return to normal
TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey will lift its indoor mask mandate for people vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning on Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday.
Indoor businesses and other entities will still be allowed to dictate whether or not patrons wear a mask.
Murphy says NJ was the first state to put and indoor masking requirement in place on April 8, 2020.
This browser does not support the Video element.
New Jersey lifting statewide indoor mask mandate Friday, May 28
This Friday, New Jersey residents will be able to take off their masks in most indoor settings as case counts have dropped and vaccinations efforts have continued.
There will be certain settings, per the CDC, that must remain masked including healthcare settings, long-term care facilities, correctional facilities and homeless shelters.
Per CDC guidance, masks will also be mandated still in childcare centers and facilities, youth summer camps, all preschool program premises, and at elementary and secondary schools.
People must remain masked in forms of transportation such as an airplane, bus, or subway as well as at transportation hubs such as airports or bus stations.
"Lifting the mask mandate is simply acknowledging how far we’ve come together and that, together, we’ll cross the finish line," Gov. Murphy wrote on Twitter.
Right now in New Jersey, you do not have to wear a mask when you are outdoors.
If you are not fully vaccinated, Gov. Murphy strongly encourages you to follow CDC guidance and wear a face mask in any indoor public setting.
Effective also on May 28, New Jersey will be lifting the indoor and outdoor six-foot social distancing guidelines. Businesses can continue to mandate social distancing should they choose.
On June 4, the indoor gathering limits mandate will expire and will not be renewed. However, there will be a 30% limit on large indoor venues with a fixed seating capacity of 1,000 or more.
New Jersey has gone from among the top states with the most cases per capita in the country earlier this year to the bottom half of states with new coronavirus cases.
New cases over the past two weeks have fallen by more than 50%, and have been declining at a similar rate for days.
So far about 43% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Murphy has set a goal of vaccinating 70% of adults, or 4.7 million people, by June 30.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
___
RELATED HEADLINES:
New Jersey lifts indoor capacity limits on businesses, social distancing still required
NJ offers free wine, state park passes, dinner with Gov. Murphy as vaccine incentives
Atlantic City Beach Patrol warn of dangers of swimming at unguarded beaches
___
DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP
SUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTube
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter