N.J. Election Nearing, Murphy Going Easy on Mandates
- Bit-by-bit virus precautions as colleagues favor broader steps
- Delta variant spreading in one of most shot-compliant states
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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who swiftly issued some of the nation’s toughest pandemic safety orders, is taking a more cautious approach on reinstating them as Covid-19 cases rise during his re-election campaign.
Voter approval of Murphy, a 63-year-old Democrat running for a second term in November, soared to a record thanks to his handling of the pandemic: He led the state to beat its deadline to vaccinate 70% of the adult population, a mark the U.S. as a whole didn’t hit until Monday. Murphy lifted most restrictions in June, amid lower deaths, hospitalizations and infection rates.