TRENTON, N.J. – The public is done with mandates, and so is Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips. He is calling on Gov. Phil Murphy to end the public health emergency today.
It is past time to learn to live with Covid-19, DePhillips said.
“The bottom line is that more than two years later, New Jerseyans are smart enough to know what they need to do to stay safe and healthy,” DePhillips (R-Bergen) said. “They don’t need bureaucrats telling them what they must and must not do.”
The Democrat-controlled legislature refused to grant the governor a 90-day extension of his emergency powers, which were set to expire Jan. 11. Claiming an “omicron tsunami,” Gov. Murphy gave himself a 30-day extension, and again on Feb. 10, despite the precipitous drop in Covid case numbers and hospitalizations. The statewide transmission rate has hovered around 0.5, down from a high of 1.92 on New Year’s Day.
New Jersey is also one of the most vaccinated states. Of 9.2 million residents, more than 7.6 million New Jerseyans have taken at least one vaccine dose, with 6.5 million fully vaccinated and 2.9 million boosted. The United States has not approved a fourth dose for adults.
The Associated Press today reported that 77% of Americans are immune to omicron, a number that will likely rise to a healthy 80% by March’s end. The acquired immunity from a previous infection or the short-term protection from shots and boosters will likely shield persons from hospitalization and death in future spikes with new variants.
“People want to make their own choices. They are done with masks, with testing, with compelled vaccinations, with all of it, Gov. Murphy’s knows this. His focus groups said so,” DePhillips said. “He needs to stop with the arbitrary timetable and end the mandates today.” |
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