Office of the Governor | This Week in New Jersey: June 26, 2020

MURPHY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES REOPENING GUIDANCE FOR NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS

Governor Phil Murphy and Department of Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet today announced the release of “The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education” to assist schools with reopening in the fall. The guidance announces that, absent a change in public health data, public schools will open for in-person instruction and operations in some capacity at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

The guidance envisions schools operating within necessary standards to protect the health and safety of students and staff. The guidance includes minimum standards such as following certain social distancing practices in classrooms and face covering measures for students and staff. The guidance also provides recommendations to assist districts in achieving these standards, such as implementing hybrid learning environments in which students receive both in-person and remote instruction.

Each district will be expected to develop, in collaboration with community stakeholders, a plan to reopen schools in the fall that best fits the district’s local needs. The guidance provides anticipated minimum standards regarding health and safety that districts should use as they plan for reopening. The guidance also provides additional considerations that may help districts as they develop their plans.

“This has been an unprecedented time for our students and educators, but we are pleased to announce that we anticipate the return to our classrooms in some capacity this fall,” said Governor Murphy. “The return to school will pose challenges, but we are confident that New Jersey’s school districts can move forward in a way that best serves the needs of their district while also achieving a safe environment for students and staff.”

“I understand this will be no easy feat,” Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet said of the return to school. “Knowing that the health of students and staff is our number one concern, our guide will begin to fill in the picture of what a safe education system will look like in the fall.”

GOVERNOR MURPHY, GOVERNOR CUOMO, AND GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCE JOINT INCOMING TRAVEL ADVISORY THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS TRAVELING FROM STATES WITH SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY SPREAD OF COVID-19 QUARANTINE FOR 14 DAYS

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont today announced a joint incoming travel advisory that all individuals traveling from states with significant community spread of COVID-19 quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state.

This quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

New Jersey, New York and Connecticut will continually update and publish on their respective websites a list of states to which the new advisory applies. This information will be updated regularly.

“Over the course of the past few months, our states have taken aggressive action to flatten the curve and beat back the coronavirus,” Governor Murphy said. “As a result of our collective efforts, we have low infection rates, falling hospitalizations, and have steadily been reopening our economies. Unfortunately many states continue to have high transmission rates. We are proud to work with our partners in New York and Connecticut on a joint incoming travel advisory to ensure continued progress against this virus and to keep residents of the tri-state area safe.”

GOVERNOR MURPHY ANNOUNCES INCREASED INDOOR AND OUTDOOR GATHERING CAPACITY LIMITS

Governor Phil Murphy today announced increased indoor and outdoor gathering capacity limits as COVID-19 cases in New Jersey continue to decline. Effective immediately, indoor gatherings are now limited to 25% capacity of the rooms in which they will take place, with a maximum of 100 persons. Outdoor gatherings are now limited to 250 persons, and outdoor religious services and political activities will continue to have no numerical limits.

“While we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commonsense public health measures that New Jerseyans have been complying with are now allowing for us to expand capacity limits,” said Governor Murphy. “We will continue to evaluate and make reopening decisions based on data, science, and facts. I thank the people of our great state for the collective effort that has enabled us to take steps like these.”

STATE OF NEW JERSEY REACHES PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT WITH COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA

Governor Phil Murphy announced a preliminary agreement with the Communications Workers of America that includes furloughs, deferred raises, and other cost-cutting measures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented economic reality for our state and nation, one that has created unexpected challenges for workers at all levels. I thank the Communications Workers of America for coming to the table to negotiate how we can address this current reality while ensuring that as many New Jerseyans as possible remain gainfully employed during this trying time.

“Today, we are announcing that CWA NJ has reached an agreement with the State that will include employee furloughs in lieu of layoffs. These furloughs are designed to limit the loss of wages for employees while providing the state with substantial cost savings. Additionally, the agreement defers planned cost of living adjustments on wages, another cost-saving measure. The final agreement remains subject to employee ratification.

“I have always believed that negotiating in good faith with our workforce and bringing people to the table leads to the best outcomes for the State, our workers, and our taxpayers. Today’s announcement is a testament to that approach, and I thank these New Jerseyans for working with us as we continue to face this ongoing health crisis.”

FIRST LADY TAMMY MURPHY TO CONTINUE SERVING NEW JERSEY'S COVID-19 VOLUNTEER EFFORT

First Lady Tammy Murphy today announced her plans to continue serving New Jersey’s COVID-19 volunteer effort. The First Lady will travel throughout New Jersey to provide support and highlight critical non-profits in communities across the state.

“The unparalleled COVID-19 public health crisis has revealed that New Jerseyans are not only resilient, but also overwhelmingly possess a remarkable sense of kindness and altruism,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “Throughout the state, our strong communities have come together to provide services to our most vulnerable populations and those who have been deeply impacted by COVID-19. By volunteering with several organizations, I have witnessed first-hand the importance of even the smallest gestures of service. I look forward to continuing this work and highlighting more incredible non-profit organizations in our state.”