“To be sure, if you feel more comfortable wearing your facemask when shopping or waiting for your table at a restaurant, by all means, you may continue to do so,” the governor said about the changes that go into effect on May 28.

New Jersey is one of just a few states maintaining an indoor mask requirement despite recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control that fully vaccinated people, in most circumstances, do not have to wear face coverings indoors. While continuing the rule caused confusion among many business owners and workers, some say it’s a simpler approach than the alternative – requiring masks only on unvaccinated residents.

At the peak of the pandemic last spring, Atlantic Health System was treating 900 patients. And since the start of the vaccine rollout, it has been at the forefront of getting shots into state residents' arms, working with the state to run the mega-site in Morris County. So it’s probably not surprising that President and CEO Brian Gragnolati is still cautious about the outlook. NJBIZ recently spoke with him about his experience during the pandemic and why New Jerseyans should not let their guard down just yet.

The order would go into effect on May 28, putting New Jersey in line with guidelines rolled out earlier this month by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which say that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask indoors.

The state's largest academic health care system said that as it continues to play an integral role in vaccinating New Jersey residents to fight the spread of the virus and end the pandemic, its workers will have until the end of next month to have get inoculations.

The legislation, which has the support of both Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Stephen Sweeney, would keep in place 14 separate executive orders Murphy has signed since the onset of the pandemic.

"The reality is that I am still not convinced that we are prepared for the next pandemic," the head of New Jersey’s only public hospital said during his appearance at the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ hearing, COVID-19 Part II: Evaluating the Medical Supply Chain and Pandemic Response Gaps.

A package of bills to assist microbusinesses, child care providers, restaurants, bars, other food and beverage establishments, businesses and nonprofits, startups, and the “Sustain and Serve NJ” program, which effectively pays restaurants to prepare meals for some of the state’s most in-need residents, will be administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

New Jersey is embarking on what Gov. Phil Murphy has described as the “most aggressive” reopening measures taken in the pandemic thus far on Wednesday. Here's what that means.

The legislation keeps in place 14 separate executive orders signed since the onset of the pandemic, keeping in effect a variety of powers granted to Gov. Phil Murphy including regarding moratoriums for evictions and utility shut-offs, hospital data-sharing on COVID-19 numbers, face-covering mandates, heightened workplace safety standards, and vaccines.

Treasury officials are gauging how to use federal COVID-relief funds to pay back some of the state’s most expensive debt, following guidance from the Biden administration that could specifically prohibit the practice.

The new rules go into effect immediately and mirror similar guidelines put out by the CDC that fully vaccinated people can freely travel across the nation without testing or self-quarantine.