Federal Judge Declines Restraining Order Which Would Block Face Mask Mandate In New Jersey Schools

With schools back in session around the United States, schoolboards have grappled with how to combat the spread of the coronavirus while maintaining in-person learning. Making the switch from virtual back to physical sessions has come with its challenges, including identifying how to curb the spread of the virus. Schools around the country have instituted measures which follow CDC guidelines, including enforcing social distancing and wearing face masks. Many schools have introduced mask mandates as a means of safeguarding student and staff health. New Jersey is one of only 16 states which have instituted a mask mandate to date.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced in August that all New Jersey K-12 students, staff, and visitors would be required to wear masks inside schools to help to combat the spread of COVID-19. The decision was made because of the, “recent and rampant spread” of the delta variant of COVID-19, because no children under the age of 12 in the U.S. are eligible to be vaccinated yet, and because ”too many” older children remain unvaccinated.

This decision has been met with backlash, including from several parents throughout the state. Some parents have joined together to form the group, ‘Free NJ Kids’ in protest to the mandate. The group recently filed a federal lawsuit in an attempt to prevent Governor Murphy and the state’s school districts from requiring mask mandates.

Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty declined to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) which would have blocked the requirement that all students wear masks in schools. McNulty was not persuaded by counsel which claimed that the mask mandate was unfair and unnecessary. An appeal has been filed, but no hearing date has been set during the time of publication.

The pandemic has sparked debate around the world regarding the proper procedures which should be taken in the interest of preserving public health.

With airborne diseases, one of the best ways to decrease spread is to limit the ability of infectious droplets to leave one person and enter another. Social distancing and the lockdown of activities and businesses that promote viral spread are two important aspects of limiting airborne illnesses. However, the most effective measure we have to prevent airborne transmission is wearing a face mask.

There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding around the wearing of face masks. Surgeons and ICU workers wear face masks and face shields to protect them from the patient, not the other way around. Blood and other bodily fluids can splash and spray during operations and invasive procedures, and so doctors and nurses wear personal protective gear to keep from getting the disease from the patients. This is not the case with airborne viral infectious diseases.

A simple surgical or cloth mask does not protect the wearer from airborne viral particles. Only N95 or N99 respirators and face shields provide this type of protection. What surgical and cloth masks do is limit the amount of virus-laden particles that can escape from an infected individual when they talk, cough, or sneeze. These types of masks also decrease the distance particles that do escape can travel, decreasing the likelihood that others in the area will become infected. So, wearing a surgical or cloth mask protects those around us, they do not protect us.

Finally, it is important to understand that wearing a face mask has no deleterious effects on the wearer. Surgeons wear face masks for up to 12 or 15 hours at a time with no negative consequences. There are absolutely no negative health effects to wearing a face mask.

Everyone needs to wear a face mask when in the company of others, especially when they are in public. This is the most effective thing we can do to limit the spread of COVID-19.

More articles like this from Dr. James Goydos:

This article was previoulsy published on Newsbreak.

About James Goydos, M.D.

James Goydos is an expert in melanoma research and specialist in surgical oncology with an M.D. from Rutgers University. With over 20 years of experience as a Professor, Surgeon, and Clinical Trial Lead, he is a leading expert in his field.

Subscribe to James Goydos’ newsletter. Follow me on Newsbreak, Good Men Project, Loop, Medium, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Medika Life, Doximity, Github, Kaggle, Vocal, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter!