Mask Mandate Return In NJ? ‘Never Say Never,’ Says Gov. Murphy

NEW JERSEY - 'Never say never:' that was Gov. Phil Murphy’s response this week when asked if a return to indoor mask mandates is coming to the Garden State.

Murphy made his remarks on the Ask Governor Murphy segment on News12 on Tuesday, ahead of an anticipated spike in COVID-19 cases during Easter and Passover celebrations in the state.

While neighboring Philadelphia is returning to an indoor mask mandate on Monday, April 18 as COVID-19 cases tick up in the region, the governor noted that New Jersey will not be putting one in place anytime soon – but added that strict measures are not off the table if things take a turn for the worse.

“You never say never. You can’t, because this thing humbles us. Every time you think you got it figured out, it takes a turn that you don’t expect - usually a negative one,” Murphy said.

“I was surprised by Philadelphia. Our numbers are up, as we predicted," Murphy said, "but we’re nowhere near the levels that we were at [before]. I don’t anticipate, I’d say even more strongly, I’d be shocked if we put a mandate like that in place in New Jersey.”

Related: Philly Mask Mandate Returns: When, Where You Need Them, And More

On Monday, the city of Philadelphia will shift to the second-least restrictive of its four-tiered coronavirus response system, meaning that masks will be required when going into restaurants, grocery stores, retail shops, event spaces, and even the Wells Fargo Center.

Masks are not required in outdoor settings under the tier.

Philadelphia is the first major city to reinstate a masking mandate following a 50 percent increase in infections in 10 days, per the city’s health commissioner.

“If we fail to act now, knowing that every previous wave of infections has been followed by a wave of hospitalizations, and then a wave of deaths, it will be too late for many of our residents,” said Philadelphia health commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole.

On Tuesday, New Jersey reported 1,488 positive COVID-19 tests, bringing the state’s seven-day average up 37 percent from a week ago. That’s over a 60 percent increase from a month ago.

“We’re probably in the soup here for four to six weeks, but nothing remotely … that we’ve gone through before,” Murphy told News12, adding that New Jersey is likely experiencing a similar wave that Europe faced around a month ago.

“Europe goes through this about a month or six weeks before we do,” the governor added.

Murphy recently received his second booster dose, a fourth shot which has been recommended by the CDC for those 50 and up. Murphy is 64. He also stressed the importance of vaccination for those who have yet to get their preliminary vaccination sequences, as well as regular testing to curb the spread of the virus.

“Testing actually matters, and this thing is so contagious, even though it’s a lot less lethal than it was in the beginning,” Murphy said.