Murphy backs Biden’s COVID mandates, says NJ will ensure its ‘capacity to vaccinate’

Gov. Phil Murphy said during a coronavirus briefing Monday that he is in support of President Joe Biden's new vaccine mandates for businesses and federal workers.

News 12 Staff

Sep 13, 2021, 10:41 PM

Updated 1,047 days ago

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Gov. Phil Murphy said during a coronavirus briefing Monday that he is in support of President Joe Biden's new vaccine mandates for businesses and federal workers.
The Biden administration and the Murphy administration are on the same message when it comes to encouraging vaccination.
However, Murphy said Monday that the state will have little to no role in enforcing the president's new mandate, but is prepared to comply.
“I'm not sure there's any role we play in that, other than we want to make sure that we've got the capacity to vaccinate, test and care for individuals,” Murphy said.
The governor has already mandated vaccination or regular tests for correctional police officers, state workers and health care workers, including those at long term care facilities.
“You either have to be vaccinated or subject to a frequency of testing, which in fact is what we have for state employees,” Murphy said.
Biden's requirements mostly go further in this aspect, as he is mandating both federal workers and contractors get vaccinated with no testing option available to them like there is for state workers.
The president's vaccine mandate also includes a few teachers working in federal programs. New Jersey takes this further, with Murphy’s vaccine mandate including all state teachers.
Employees at companies with 100 workers or more will have to get vaccinated or face weekly testing under Biden’s new mandates. Murphy says the state is still waiting on the final regulations from the federal government about the details of implementing this.
In a statement Monday, former President Donald Trump said he thinks the vaccine is "brilliant,” but called mandating the vaccine "un-American."


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