TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey students from kindergarten to 12th grade will be required to wear masks in schools when the new year begins in a few weeks, Gov.
Phil Murphy is set to announce Friday as COVID-19 cases rise in the state.Murphy, a Democrat seeking reelection this year, will formally announce the decision Friday, according to spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna.The decision to require masks is an about-face from just a few weeks ago when Murphy said it would take a "deterioration" of COVID-19 data to require masks.The state's figures, like many across the country, have been trending up in recent weeks.