Masks Back In NJ Schools As COVID Cases Rise, Murphy Says No Mandate Yet

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy still doesn't envision an imminent return to the state's prior mask mandate in schools. But some districts around New Jersey recently brought back requirements for face coverings.

Nine of New Jersey's 21 counties have "high" COVID-19 community levels, while 11 are in the "moderate" category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In "high" regions, the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status. Read more: Face Masks Recommended In 9 NJ Counties As U.S. Marks 1M COVID Deaths

Murphy lifted the school mask mandate March 7, marking the end of one of New Jersey's last major mandates. But school districts still have the option to enforce their own mask requirements, the governor reiterated Monday.

"School districts, particularly if they’re in those (nine) counties, have every right to say, ‘Listen, we need the kids and educators to put masks back on when they’re indoors,'" Murphy told reporters Monday at an unrelated event in Hackensack. "But as a statewide matter, no news to make today."

A few districts have taken advantage in recent days. On Friday, Metuchen schools announced a return to an indoor mask mandate in school buildings and transportation starting Monday, according to a statement from Superintendent Vincent Caputo.

“With New Jersey and our region of the state in orange (high COVID activity), with local cases at their highest since the January surge, with influenza at high levels unusually late in the spring, and with so many important springtime and year-end events and celebrations coming up, I have decided that … masks will be required for everyone on school buses and everyone inside school buildings except for when eating,” Caputo said. “This requirement will be reconsidered on a week-by-week basis.”

Princeton Public Schools reinstated mask requirements Monday, with district officials citing increased COVID-19 cases and guidance from the Princeton Department of Health.

Interim Superintendent C. Lauren Schoen of West Orange schools also announced a districtwide encouragement to wear masks while indoors starting Monday. Read more: West Orange Schools Will 'Strongly Encourage' Indoor Masks

Other schools mandating masks include Clinton and South Mountain elementary schools in the South Orange-Maplewood district, as well as Montclair. Newark hasn’t yet dropped its indoor mask mandate since the statewide policy was lifted.

As of Thursday, the CDC recommended masking at indoor, public spaces in the following New Jersey counties: Sussex, Morris, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester.

The CDC's mask recommendations don't trigger mandates. People may also choose to wear masks at any time.

Meanwhile, other districts have just dropped their mask policies, such as New Brunswick, which ended its mandate on May 2. Instead of masking back up, some schools are alternatively offering free rapid tests and masks for district families to curb the spread of the virus. Read more: As COVID Cases Rise, East Brunswick Schools Offer Free Rapid Tests