
Statewide mask mandate for New Jersey schools ending in March, governor's office says
CBSN
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will end a statewide mask mandate to protect against COVID-19 in schools and child care centers, his office said Monday. The requirement goes into effect March 7 and comes as New Jersey's caseload drops after a spike around the holidays fueled by the Omicron variant.
The governor is expected to announce the development and answer questions at a news conference Monday. Local school districts will continue to have the flexibility to require masking if needed, a state official familiar with the decision confirmed to CBS News.
New Jersey was one of just a dozen states with mask mandates in schools, according to the nonpartisan National Academy for State Health Policy.

Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church, a megachurch in Southlake, Texas, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, stemming from alleged incidents dating back to the 1980s, the Oklahoma attorney general's office announced Wednesday. We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions. We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation.