Murphy’s first real hint that masks for kids could end soon (Opinion)

Whether or not you believe that masks are effective in fighting the COVID-19 virus, most people find it sad that children in New Jersey are forced to cover their faces all day. And of all the measures that have been in place during the last couple of years in order to fight COVID-19, this one rankles the most.

What makes people not only sad but angry (perhaps even more so than shutting down the economy), is the in-school mask mandate for children.

Parents have been yelling at other parents and at their respective boards of education about this since Murphy first decided that kids in school would have to cover their faces for extended periods of time.

After all, whether you’re for or against—and EVERYONE has an opinion on this—it’s been pointed out that children have a very hard time using the masks properly, anyway.

When Phil Murphy first decided to use his executive powers to make sure the masks stayed on, the Civil War between school parents began in earnest. And it hasn’t ended, with parents showing up to school board meetings to face off against each other and against board members.

There seems to finally be a light, however small, at the end of this tunnel.

According to an article by Eric Scott, Murphy hinted last week in an interview with WPIX TV that it’s possible the in-school mask mandates could be over before the end of the school year. Murphy sounded surprisingly optimistic.

As of Thursday, Jan. 20, New Jersey's rate of transmission had dropped to .83, the lowest it had been since before Thanksgiving 2020. Hospitalizations are below 5,000.

New positive test results are also declining.

If these numbers continue their downward trend, said the governor, it’s very possible that the school mask mandate could be lifted by the end of the year.

It’s said that a parent can only be as happy as his unhappiest kid. Not sure who will be happier when the mask-in-school rules are finally over—the parents or the kids.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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