Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli stopped short of reinstating mask mandates for New Jerseyans in a joint statement that “strongly recommended” use in certain “increased risk,” indoor settings. “Our metrics are trending in the wrong direction, and new data suggests the Delta variant is more transmissible even among vaccinated individuals, which is why we are making this strong recommendation,” Murphy and Persichilli said in a July 28 statement. They added that New Jersey’s COVID stats are not as bad as many other states, but “Should our numbers reach those levels, we reserve the right to take more drastic action, including a statewide mask mandate.” North-JerseyNews.com
President Joe Biden sought to revive the nation’s stalled push to vaccinate Americans against the surging Delta variant of the coronavirus, announcing new requirements for federal workers to be vaccinated and urging local and state governments to offer $100 to anyone willing to get a shot voluntarily. The President’s announcement included only federal civilian employees, but Pentagon officials said members of the military would also be subject to the same rules: get vaccinated or face regular testing, social distancing, mask wearing and limits on official travel. The Wall Street Journal
Gov. Phil Murphy said “everything’s on the table” in terms of considering mandatory vaccinations to protect against COVID-19 infections but signaled that a narrowly focused requirement might be a likelier first step. “We’re looking at a whole number of options as it related to vaccine mandates,” Murphy said. “You probably won’t be surprised our most heightened focus right now is on vulnerable communities,” citing those with a healthcare element or vulnerable populations. NJ1015.com
The Delta variant is much more contagious, more likely to break through protections afforded by the vaccines and may cause more severe disease than all other known versions of the virus, according to an internal presentation circulated within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the agency, acknowledged in a memo to other officials in the agency that vaccinated people with so-called breakthrough infections of the Delta variant carry just as much virus in the nose and throat as unvaccinated people, and may spread it just as readily, if less often. The New York Times
New mothers in New Jersey will soon be able to get up to three free visits from nurses after giving birth under a new program designed to support healthy development and reduce postpartum complications, including death. With Gov. Phil Murphy’s signing July 29 of the Statewide Newborn Home Nurse Visitation Program, New Jersey is now the second state in the country, behind Oregon, to offer home nurse visits to infants and their parents. New Jersey Herald
Gov. Phil Murphy reaffirmed his commitment to address lead exposure in New Jersey by signing a package of bills aimed at protecting New Jersey’s families from lead poisoning. The legislation will require regular inspections for, and the remediation of, lead-based paint hazards in residential rental properties and require the inventory, replacement, and financing of lead service lines throughout the state within the next 10 years. “We are taking the most aggressive action in the nation to reduce lead-based paint exposure in our homes and communities, which is a critical victory for public health and environmental justice, and advances New Jersey as a national leader in lead poisoning prevention,” proclaimed Murphy. North-JerseyNews.com
The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill now before the U.S. Senate includes billions of dollars that could be tapped to help fund the long-awaited Gateway Tunnel project. The bill includes $30 billion for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, another $8 billion in capital improvement grants that the train tunnel under the Hudson River could be eligible for once the federal government changes its ranking, and an overall boost in federal transit funding. “If you put all of that together, this bill funds Gateway. Full stop,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski, a member of the House Transportation Committee. NJ.com
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. blasted Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and his ten-year plan to rebuild the United States Post Office (USPS) following a report issued by the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) which found it was built on unreliable data. “The findings of the Postal Regulatory Commission make crystal clear that Louis DeJoy and his plans are a clear and present danger to the future of the Post Office,” said Rep. Pascrell. “DeJoy’s so-called plan to rebuild USPS will not strengthen it but instead make it even more feeble. Louis DeJoy should have been fired a long time ago. Americans demand a Post Office that works for them. That starts with firing the pre-Biden board members who have enabled this damage and then removing Louis DeJoy.” North-JerseyNews.com
Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who once led the Newark Archdiocese, has been charged with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage boy in Massachusetts, making him the highest-ranking church official to face such charges. Court records show that McCarrick was charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years old or older—all related to incidents at a wedding in June 1974 in Wellesley. A criminal complaint says the accuser was 16 at the time and was later abused at other locations in Massachusetts and in other states, including New Jersey. NJ Spotlight News
A Black Lives Matter mural painted on a Garden State Parkway underpass in Passaic County will come down soon, state and local officials said. The mural was painted earlier this month by a local 19-year-old artist and her friends on both sides of the Parkway underpass along Allwood Road in Clifton. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority received complaints and a decision was made to order Clifton to take it down due to the agency’s policy of not allowing unauthorized painted murals on state property. The Record
Keep the Garden State the Garden State, say most New Jersey residents. The majority of New Jersey residents think the “Garden State” is a good nickname for New Jersey, with 77% reporting so, according to results from the latest FDU Poll. Only 13% disliked the nickname, while 10% were unsure. Women (80%) were more likely than men (75%) to believe it should remain the same. What’s more, a rare moment of nonpartisanship was evident: 79% of both Republicans and Democrats thought the name should stay. “We think the poll shows New Jerseyans appreciate not only their highly productive local farms but also displays their love of landscape plants and protected open space lands,” said Farm Bureau President Ryck Suydam. North-JerseyNews.com
The first of two gubernatorial debates between Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and former Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli is set for Sept. 28. The debate will be held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and air live at 7 p.m. on WABC-TV, WPVI-TV and will be streamed online at NJ.com. NJ.com
And finally…The National Weather Service says it’s possible as many as four tornadoes may have touched down in different parts of New Jersey during a wave of powerful thunderstorms July 29. NJ.com
