By Donald Gilpin

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, COVID-19 infection levels continue to drop, and vaccination numbers rise, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans on Monday to remove almost all pandemic restrictions soon.

The indoor mask mandate in public spaces and the six-foot social distancing requirement indoors and outdoors, along with the prohibition of dance floors at bars and restaurants and the prohibition on ordering and eating/drinking while standing at bars and restaurants, will all be lifted on Friday, May 28. Then, on Friday, June 4, indoor gathering and capacity limits will be removed. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to continue masking and social distancing.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, my administration has been guided by science, data, and facts to put New Jersey on the road to recovery, with the public health and safety of all New Jerseyans as our highest priority,” Murphy said in signing the executive order lifting restrictions. “Together we have made tremendous progress in crushing the virus, and the last two weeks have shown significant decreases in key areas of our data, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, spot positivity rates, and rates of transmission.”

Murphy noted that this lifting of restrictions over the next two weeks will show “our commitment to carefully and deliberately reopening our state after what has been a truly crushing almost 15-month period.”

More than 3.9 million people who live, work, or study in New Jersey have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in-state, including 88,786 out-of-state residents, while another 167,268 residents have been vaccinated in other states. About 57 percent of New Jersey’s 6.9 million adults have been fully vaccinated so far, and more than 194,000 children between the ages of 12 and 17 have been vaccinated in the state.

On Monday, May 24, the Princeton Health Department reported no new positive cases of COVID-19 in the previous 14 days. The health department also announced further expanded vaccination opportunities, including a pop-up vaccination clinic on Thursday, May 27, from 2:30 p.m.
to 6 p.m. at Lupita grocery store at 50 Leigh Avenue.

In partnership with the health department, Princeton Nassau Pediatrics is offering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, by appointment only at (609) 924-5510 through Friday, May 28, at its West Windsor office location.

Princeton University’s series of COVID-19 vaccination clinics open to the public, including 12-15 year olds, will continue at Jadwin Gymnasium on campus at the following times: Tuesday, June 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, June 2, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, June 4, 12 to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, June 8, 2 to 7 p.m.; Wednesday, June 9, 2 to 7 p.m.; and Friday, June 11, 12 to 5 p.m.  Anyone 12 or older can register with New Jersey’s Vaccine Scheduling System at covidvacine.nj.gov to secure an appointment, and limited walk-ups are also possible at these clinics.

Visit vaccinatenj.herokuapp.com to find other nearby vaccination site.

In an email to the Princeton University community last week, University President Christopher Eisgruber looked ahead to the new school year, “as we restore normal operations and navigate what we hope are the closing stages of this pandemic.”

Calling for “vaccination as the foundation for a safe campus environment, Eisgruber announced plans for a fully residential program for the fall, with the University “operating very much as it did before the pandemic struck.”

He reiterated a requirement for all students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and added the possibility of a vaccination requirement for faculty and staff.

Eisgruber went on to note that some travel restrictions and some public health measures, including periodic asymptomatic testing and face mask requirements in certain settings, might continue into the fall along with some restrictions on visitors to campus and on-campus gatherings.

Princeton Public Schools has announced its plan to welcome all students back in September for a return to the full-day, traditional schedule. “I am very pleased with what we have been able to do this spring, and I anticipate that the situation in September will result in pre-pandemic schooling in most ways,” said Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso.