New Brunswick lifts indoor mask mandate following decrease in coronavirus cases

Starting today, New Brunswick will no longer require individuals to wear face coverings in indoor public facilities such as restaurants, retail stores and gyms, according to an article from MyCentralJersey.

This comes after the city's government officials decided yesterday not to extend the indoor mask mandate past January. The original mask mandate was put into effect on Dec. 30, 2021, amid a statewide increase in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

Despite the city's lifting of the mandate, Rutgers will continue to require the use of face coverings in indoor University spaces, according to the Guide To Returning To Rutgers, which was last updated on Jan. 21.

New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill said the decision to discontinue the city's mandate was made after observing a recent decrease in COVID-19 cases, according to the article. Though, he recommends that all individuals despite vaccination status still wear masks when possible in indoor public spaces where there is a higher risk of transmission.

“The significant drop in the number of positive tests and hospitalizations and the transmission and positivity rates since their peak earlier this month provides sufficient justification to allow the face mask requirement to expire at its originally scheduled time,” Cahill said. “We will continue to monitor the data available and take appropriate action as we are hopefully coming to an end of the pandemic.”