10 signatures reached
To: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
Protect students and educators by reinstating school mask mandates
Just weeks after the height of the devastating omicron surge which infected millions and stretched hospital capacities to their limits, New Jersey (and other states) have moved to end school mask mandates in March.
This is incredibly irresponsible and puts so many at unnecessary risk for unchecked transmission within their schools. School mask mandates protect entire school communities—from the littlest kids who can't yet get vaccinated for COVID to the chronically ill and medically fragile students, teachers, and family members who are at the highest risk if the spread of COVID continues.
New Jersey is close to New York City which means unchecked spread of COVID in the city will travel rapidly to surrounding areas. At the peak of the omicron surge, Essex County in New Jersey (the most urban state in the country), had one of the worst daily case counts in the country, topping more than 500 cases a day per 100,000 residents. Newark (a majority Black and Latinx city that has a long history of economic devastation, structural racism, and a lack of medical services), has a student vaccination rate of 18%, an explosive combination that especially puts school communities at risk.
This is incredibly irresponsible and puts so many at unnecessary risk for unchecked transmission within their schools. School mask mandates protect entire school communities—from the littlest kids who can't yet get vaccinated for COVID to the chronically ill and medically fragile students, teachers, and family members who are at the highest risk if the spread of COVID continues.
New Jersey is close to New York City which means unchecked spread of COVID in the city will travel rapidly to surrounding areas. At the peak of the omicron surge, Essex County in New Jersey (the most urban state in the country), had one of the worst daily case counts in the country, topping more than 500 cases a day per 100,000 residents. Newark (a majority Black and Latinx city that has a long history of economic devastation, structural racism, and a lack of medical services), has a student vaccination rate of 18%, an explosive combination that especially puts school communities at risk.
Why is this important?
Our students, educators, and their families deserve better than this. As the CDC director just said a few days ago, now is the time to double-down on high quality masks, not make them optional. We would strongly urge Governor Murphy reconsider this mandate, and make our communities safer by extending the mask mandate.