Phil Murphy: National Mask Requirement Is ‘Almost Undebatable’

MITCHELL: “Do you think there should be a national mask requirement?”

MURPHY: “I do. I do, Andrea. It’s become almost not even debatable. Certainly when you’re going out and absolutely indoors, as I mentioned this virus is a lot more lethal inside than outside. But if you’re leaving your house,  put on a mask, I think it ought to be a national requirement.”

MITCHELL: “With very little warning last week, you delayed the reopening of restaurants and I have to tell you I don’t need to tell you because I’m sure you’ve been hearing it, that people, restaurant owners are really upset. Amy Russo, a restaurant owner told “The New York Times,” she’s in Asbury Park, not that far from you, that “It’s appalling … especially now. That we’ve done the buying— we do Sunday for Monday deliveries. We’ve got the food in. It’s insane.” They’re taking a huge hit having bought all of that food and the cleaning supplies. What do you tell those people?”

MURPHY: “Listen we have nothing, but sympathy for them, believe me. It’s why we need direct federal cash assistance to states so that we can help those restaurants and small businesses out, but the choice is either we open inside or based on the data that we saw and the lethality of this virus inside or we lose people, we literally lose lives. When you combine indoors, lack of ventilation, sedentary, close proximity and by definition you have to take your mask off to eat, those are bad facts and we’re just not there yet. We’ll get there, I hope, but we’re not ready for it.”

MITCHELL: “Are you concerned that after this holiday weekend that you’re gonna see a spike in New Jersey the way we’ve seen spikes elsewhere after the memorial day holiday?”

MURPHY: “Yeah Andrea, we’re already seeing a little of that. It’s less because of folks sitting on the beach looking at fireworks. We’ve begun to open up the state showily, but surely and we knew there was risk associated with that. So it’s partly that. It’s partly this coming back to New Jersey from hot spots so yeah, we’re not out of the woods yet without any question.”

MITCHELL: “Well seeing you there — down there in the Jersey shore makes us all want to get out there, as well, but not to be this year for us. Thank you very much, though.”