Murphy targets nurses and doctors in latest COVID panic theater (Opinion)

While states like Florida and Texas ban vaccine discrimination and get back to complete pre-COVID normal, New Jersey's governor is acting like it’s March 2020. Endless reports of positive tests, despite dropping hospitalizations and deaths, give the governor the fuel he needs to force an increasing number of people to take the COVID vax or lose their job.

His latest move is to remove the testing option for health care workers and force them to either get the vax - or booster if they already vaxxed - or possibly lose their job. We have been talking about a shortage of nurses even before the pandemic in New Jersey for a variety of reasons, including insufficient faculty to teach new applicants.

So, we entered the pandemic with a nursing shortage and despite that New Jersey hospitals fared well during the height of the panic in 2020. Now as we come out of the COVID fog and we are facing an increasing problem of understaffed medical facilities, the governor is threatening medical staff with termination of they don't vax.

Given the fact that the latest mutation of COVID is reportedly mild; and given the fact that according to the CDC almost all deaths from COVID are among those with multiple co-morbidities; and given the fact that medical professionals across the globe admit that vaccination does not stop the spread, the policy makes zero sense.

Instead of protecting patients and colleagues, this policy all but guarantees a continued staffing shortage which will put a huge burden on the medical professionals who stay on the job.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.