Students appearing on stage for school plays this fall will need to wear a mask during their performances, although Gov. Phil Murphy suggested that school officials need to “use common sense” on how following his mask mandate order.
“Technically, the answer is it does apply if you’re inside a school building,” said Murphy. “I think I’d just ask folks to use common sense here.”
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But Murphy hinted that directors might stage performances in a way that could allow a student actor to be unmasked for at least a period of time.
“Are you able to social distance? I think that probably should be a factor.”
There could be some exceptions, Murphy said, including one-man shows, and “serious aerobic activity as it relates to a high level of dancing, for instance, where I think you’d be eligible for a carveout for the similar reason you would have if you were doing an intense amount of aerobic activity in the context of an athletic engagement.”
Murphy noted that he’s more concerned about students under age 12 who are not vaccinated.
Still, when Murphy and Republican Jack Ciattarelli debated last week on a stage at Rowan University, neither were required to wear masks.
He said that the school mask mandate brings him no joy.
“We’re doing that because we know that’s the right thing to do for public health, but we also know this is not forever and always,” Murphy said.