Ben Nikpour - Week 3: N.J. Ends the Mask Mandate

    Living in New Jersey throughout the pandemic was very different than how it was in Florida. I spent the first few months of the pandemic in a complete lockdown in my home in New Jersey. In June of 2020, three long months after COVID-19 spread around the country, I went to Florida. We decided to go to Florida because we knew that restrictions were lighter down there, and at the very least, we would be stuck in a lockdown in a home right on the beach. When I got to Florida, I realized just how different the state was dealing with the pandemic. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I was able to go into a store and even get a haircut. While this felt uncomfortable at first, I quickly got used to normal life. Soon later, I went back to New Jersey. Luckily restrictions were slowly lifted but never to the extent of Florida. 

    When I finally moved to Florida last year and transferred schools, I immediately noticed a difference: I was allowed to go in person with just a mask. In my old school, we were completely virtual. When the new school year came around, Florida public schools were mask-optional while the New Jersey school districts continued enforcing the mandate. Florida schools could have been mask-optional months before this too. 

    For months, people have been criticizing the New Jersey governor over his decision to keep the mask mandate in schools, but just a few days ago, Governor Phil Murphy announced that he will be dropping the mandate. This will go into effect in the second week of March which will be two years after the pandemic began in the first place. Many other states have also announced they will follow the state and allow schools to be mask optional within the next few months. These states include Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon. This move towards normality was taken differently by both sides. Many people are happy that the governor finally decided to remove the mandate while others are furious. Ultimately the Governor said that this decision was not easy, but it is something that needs to be done to live with things as normal as possible in a new covid society. 

    Do you agree with Governor Murphy’s decision or do you think it is still too early to remove the mask mandate?

Individual school districts will be free to continue requiring masks after the state mandate ends March 7 - Los Angeles Times

N.J. Governor to End School Mask Mandate in Move to ‘Normalcy’

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