Health
Hunger crisis may loom as emergency food assistance ends
As pandemic protections like eviction and foreclosure moratoriums near their end, pundits and policymakers have warned about the expected impact on homelessness. But advocates for New Jersey’s poorest residents warn that federal emergency food assistance provided during the pandemic will go away soon too, and a recent bump in food stamp benefits won’t help enough […]
116-year-old court ruling is challenge for Rutgers vaccine lawsuit
A lawsuit seeking to overturn Rutgers University’s vaccine mandate faces grim odds and court precedent that dates back more than a century. The federal complaint alleges the school’s mandate violates protections against unwanted medical treatment provided by the 14th Amendment and other constitutional rights. The plaintiffs are Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit headed by anti-vaccine […]
Murphy: Decision on school vaccine mandate to come before end of August
Gov. Phil Murphy expects to issue guidance on immunization requirements in schools before the end of August, he said at a press briefing Monday. “My guess is in the next two or three weeks, we’ll have something that we’ll be able to put out there,” Murphy said, adding his administration is working on the issue. […]
N.J. courts announce vaccine mandate
New Jersey Courts are enacting their own vaccine mandate. The judiciary will require all staff and judges presiding over state courts provide proof of their immunization or submit to weekly virus testing, acting Administrative Director of the Courts Judge Glenn Grant said. The announcement comes only days after the courts fully re-opened to the public […]
Business groups opposed to vaccine passports — but resistance is softening
New Jersey’s business leaders aren’t prepared to embrace vaccine mandate and passport policies similar to those announced in New York City Tuesday. New York City is preparing to implement a broad mandate that will require customers and workers at indoor restaurants, gyms, and performance venues to show proof of receiving at least one vaccine dose […]
Murphy orders health care, corrections staff to get vaccinated or tested
All workers in New Jersey’s state and private health care facilities and “high-risk congregate settings” must get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 7, or undergo testing once to twice a week, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. Murphy attributed the change to the spread of the Delta variant and its widespread impacts. “Almost every day, […]
Post-birth home nurse visits now required under new law
Headaches wracked Sunmisola Adedonkun in the days after she gave birth. She might have written it off as a minor ailment treatable by over-the-counter pain relievers, but a visit from a home nurse identified the potentially life-threatening postpartum preeclampsia she faced. Today, Adedonkun credits that visit with saving her life. “I rushed to the hospital. […]
Murphy’s new mask recommendation unlikely to impact gubernatorial race
New masking recommendations issued by Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration are unlikely to have much of an impact on his re-election race, but worsening conditions could necessitate measures with greater political cost. Murphy and Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli on Wednesday urged residents to don masks in crowded indoor spaces or ones where individuals may not be […]
CDC says the vaccinated should wear masks indoors in areas with high infection rates
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials on Tuesday urged Americans in areas of the country with the highest surges in COVID-19 infections to once again wear masks when they are in public, indoor settings — even if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The updated recommendations marked a sharp shift from the agency’s guidance in May that […]