Gov. Phil Murphy says that New Jersey school districts that plan on switching to fully remote learning must have a justifiable reason for doing so.

The governor said Wednesday that any plans to begin the school with all virtual learning “must cite specific health and safety reasons for the change.”

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Earlier this summer Murphy said that schools would be allowed to reopen for in-person instruction when school begins in September. He then changed the plan to say that it was up to the school district how they would choose to reopen. Parents may also opt to keep their children home.

Murphy said that district leaders must provide a timeline to get back to in-person instruction.

The governor made the announcement at Wednesday’s COVID-19 briefing. He also announced that there were 399 new positive cases of the virus confirmed in the state, along with 11 additional deaths.

For more on today's briefing, click here.