Governor ending New Jersey’s school mask mandate

New Jersey Gov. 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 an spike around the holidays fueled by the omicron variant. The governor is expected to announce the development at a news conference Monday when he is set to also answer questions. It’s not clear, for example, if individual school districts could continue to require a mandate.