New Jersey Gov. Murphy requires face coverings for students 'at all times' inside school buildings

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday said face coverings would be required for students “at all times” while inside a school building, regardless of social distancing, as the state begins rolling out plans for the 2020 school year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Face coverings will be required for all students at all times while inside a school building, regardless of social distancing, unless doing so would inhibit the individual’s health,” Murphy tweeted Monday.

MURPHY TO GIVE NEW JERSEY PARENTS CHOICE ON REMOTE-LEARNING AMID COVID-19

Murphy added that the new order would also include “several exceptions to this standard including an exception for certain students with disabilities.”

Murphy noted that the New Jersey Department of Education is also sharing a “checklist” of specific items that offices will use to ensure a school district’s plans meet the state’s guidelines.

“We remain in a public health emergency,” Murphy said. “Over the last week, we saw numbers of new cases that we hadn’t seen in eight weeks. Our rate of transmission is now more than double where it was a few weeks ago.”

He added: “Everyone needs to get it together—and fast. This is not yet past us.”

The announcement comes after Murphy last month said the state will give parents the option of choosing “all-remote learning” for their children for the upcoming school year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Parents and guardians have the option to choose all-remote learning for their children for the upcoming school year,” Murphy said last month.

Murphy’s announcement comes as states across the nation begin to reimagine what the 2020-2021 school year will look like amid the coronavirus pandemic. Regions have begun introducing plans that offer a part-time remote learning option, with the other part of the week in the classroom.

As of Monday, New Jersey reported more than 184,000 positive cases of COVID-19 and more than 15,800 deaths since the onset of the pandemic.