Unmasking New Jersey
New Jersey is behind the country, and Governor Murphy still cannot fully lift the state’s nonsensical restrictions
AGAINST THE CRIES OF FANATICS, Governor Phil Murphy finally lifted most indoor mask restrictions in New Jersey.
Of course, New Jersey is far behind the pack in lifting its mask mandate, being the second to the last state — only Hawaii remains — to do so. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, headed by the nervous Dr. Rochelle Walensky, decided weeks ago that the dirty pieces of cloth no longer had to adorn the public’s faces.
Nevertheless, droves of people on social media have decried the announcement, calling it reckless to the point of manslaughter. It apparently has never occurred to these people that they can get the vaccine and keep wearing a mask if it helps them sleep at night.
The pro-mask chorus is foolish, however, if that is how they wish to spend their time. The numbers don’t lie, after all. And COVID-19 is on the way out the door.
On Wednesday, there were 352 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state. This is leaps and bounds below the January 13 high of 6,922. Since that fateful day, case counts have continued to trend downward in fits and starts — but overall, the news is good. Transmission rates are also at a fantastic low of 0.75%, and lab-confirmed deaths only marked 25 people on Wednesday.
It is true, of course, that case and death numbers declined similarly last summer before once again spiking when the leaves turned. But what is different this time is the miracle of not one but three successful vaccines that have joined the fight against the coronavirus. And on that front, the news is also good.
On Wednesday, Murphy announced that over 4 million New Jersey residents had been fully vaccinated. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 7.2 million people are over the age of 18 in the garden state. This means New Jersey’s fully vaccinated population makes up roughly 57% of its total adult population, which is on par with the national average.
This number is only supported further by 12-15-year-olds that were recently permitted to get the Pfizer vaccine and 16-17-year-olds who were approved for the same shortly before that. Both of those age groups only make up 1% of the vaccinated total, respectively.
While there is certainly overlap, these vaccinated numbers do not consider people who have contracted the virus and now have natural immunity, however fleeting it may be.
The decreased case counts and optimistic vaccine numbers mean there is no danger in Murphy’s mask mandate lift. And while the lift should be celebrated, it is still less-than-perfect.
First, the positive: On Friday, May 28, the indoor mask mandate in most — and there are some significant exceptions — buildings is no more. Gone, too, is the 6-foot social distancing rules. Also, if you feel like celebrating, the prohibition on dance floors and bar seating has been lifted.
However, for some unknown reason, the latest lifting of pandemic restrictions is divided into two phases. On June 4, indoor capacity limits will be eliminated altogether. Real-world skepticism would indicate that the limits are likely already being ignored, but whatever makes the government happy.
Unfortunately, the division in restriction vanquishing is not the only nonsensical exception that is taking place. For some unbeknownst reason, known only to hypochondriacs like Rochelle Walensky, children at youth summer camps must continue to mask up. Now, this never made sense, and it makes even less now. Summer camps primarily take place outside — a place where the virus doesn’t spread. Summer camps also are attended by children — a group that was already largely spared from COVID-19.
However, summer camps are a sore spot for Walensky, who, while experiencing one of her on-air panic attacks, said earlier this year that she was too afraid to allow her child to attend one. What should be less of a mystery is why masks are still required in public schools — including private charter schools that should be considered businesses that are allowed to set their own rules.
This is not a mystery, though, because CDC recommendations on schools were dictated by United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. Weingarten ranks second place, only behind China, as the most heinous villain in this pandemic. It seems not enough for teachers to skip out of work for two school years; now that they are back, they want to exercise control over people’s children, even though the teachers themselves can get vaccinated.
Another unfortunate reality, though, is that private businesses can set their own masking rules. The only reason a business would continue to mandate masks is to virtue signal a political stance. They would be foolish to do so, and people should feel free to ignore the business or its political stance.
As for the schools: It would be wise for Murphy to remember it is an election year for him. While he has shown a tremendous temperament throughout the pandemic, niceties alone won’t reassure his reelection. Murphy has failed to stand up to the teachers union, and that fact will remain his most significant political liability.
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