Jack Ciattarelli statement on Gov. Murphy’s mask mandate for students

Jack Ciattarelli, Republican candidate for New Jersey Governor, released the following statement ahead of Phil Murphy’s announcement of a mask mandate for New Jersey’s public school students:

“Governor Phil Murphy has done it again. His decision to require masks for K-12 students is a bewildering reversal of his position of just a few weeks ago.

“Let me be clear, I oppose Governor Murphy’s mask mandate for students. The science is clear: nearly all children who contract COVID-19 are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and wearing masks for children is terrible for their social and emotional development.

“Bottom line, whether a child wears a mask should be decided by parents, not government. If someone wants to have their child wear a mask, they should feel free to do so, but it’s not something that should be forced on children, nor should their learning be inhibited in any way.

“Finally, this feels like the first step towards another Murphy lockdown, which is something our children, businesses, and taxpayers cannot afford or are willing to accept.”