Mask Mandate To End In All NJ State Buildings, Murphy Announces

TRENTON, NJ — The mask mandate requiring New Jersey state employees and visitors to wear face coverings while inside state offices and buildings will soon be, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Twitter.

The new mandate will take effect on Monday, March 14.

Any employee, customer or visitor may still choose to wear a mask if they wish, Murphy tweeted.

The move comes after Murphy signed an executive order last week formally ending the last major mitigation requirements that have been in place since March 2020. That included removing mask mandates for schools.

The order Murphy signed ended the public health emergency he declared in January as the omicron variant led to a surge in COVID-19 infections.

"As the coronavirus moves from pandemic to endemic and as we transition away from crisis management to a more normal way of life, it is the right time," Murphy said on Friday. "We're ready to move forward and not live our lives in fear."

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At last week's briefing, Murphy said the mask mandate in state buildings likely would end not long after Monday.

"Let's get through Monday with the schools," he said.