New Jersey Healthcare Workers Will Be Required to Get COVID-19 Vaccine, Gov. Murphy Says

All workers in certain state and private health care facilities (and high-risk congregate settings) will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 7, 2021. If they do not comply, they will be subject to COVID-19 testing a minimum of one to two times per week.

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The mandate goes into effect on September 7, 2021. Healthcare facilities and other settings covered by this requirement have until that date for all employees to come into full compliance with the vaccine mandate. We have a list of the sites that are included in today's announcement below.

“We are taking this step today because it has been proven time and time again that vaccines save lives and are our way out of this pandemic," Governor Phil Murphy said on Monday. "Individuals in health care facilities should have confidence in their caretakers, and this measure will help ensure peace of mind for those in higher-risk settings.

The rapidly-spreading delta variant of the virus, of course, has officials concerned. Governor Murphy says that this may not be the final measure the state takes to curb the spread of COVID-19.

"We are prepared to consider additional measures if we do not see a satisfactory increase in vaccination uptake in those settings as this new requirement is put into effect.”

The sites that are affected by today's announcement include: 

• Long-term care and assisted-living facilities
• County jails
• Acute-care hospitals and specialty hospitals
• Short-term and post-acute in-patient rehabs
• Licensed behavioral health facilities
• Home health agencies