Assemblywoman Jasey Calls upon County Colleges to Implement COVID-19 Vaccine or Testing Mandate 

(TRENTON) – Following announcements from Essex County College and Raritan Valley Community College that students and staff will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Chairwoman of the Assembly Higher Education Committee Mila Jasey (D-Essex, Morris) issued the following statement calling on every New Jersey county college to do the same:

“These two county colleges have made the right decision to require vaccinations or regular testing for staff and students attending their institutions. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly among unvaccinated individuals and the emergence of the Delta variant poses a significant risk to people in group settings, such as college campuses. 

“It is not unprecedented for colleges to implement vaccine requirements for students. Not only have many other universities already announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates, but many also required immunization against contagious diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella long before this pandemic began.  

“We must prioritize the health and safety of students and educators during this ongoing pandemic. Testing and immunizations will create a safer environment for all those pursuing higher education at this time. I call upon county colleges throughout our state to immediately implement this important safety measure by requiring COVID-19 vaccines or regular testing for all students and staff.”