For 6 months teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and additional school personnel have been forced to submit to weekly Covid-19 testing in order to keep their jobs. This effort has wasted valuable time, money, and resources. All while it has been proven time and time again that unvaccinated individuals are no more likely to transmit the COVID-19 virus than vaccinated individuals. This is no longer about “the science.”

It is time to STOP testing individuals who are well. It is time to STOP discriminating against individuals for their vaccination status. It is time for government officials to stand up and take responsibility for their poor decisions, and right their wrongs.

Since mandated weekly tests for unvaccinated public employees began in October, New Jersey has spent at least $9.5 million dollars testing state workers for COVID-19. The creation of a $267 million dollar testing program to monitor unvaccinated individuals with zero symptoms is fiscally irresponsible and unwarranted.

Most employees receive test results 3-5 days after testing bringing them to the end of what would have been their quarantine period. How is this effective?

Testing healthy people makes absolutely zero sense. Do we test healthy people for the flu, strep throat, or other communicable diseases?

The negative results of mandated testing reach far beyond financial waste. Many teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and other public employees have left the profession. Some have lost their jobs due to a refusal to comply. We are currently facing a bus driver shortage. Our state is in crisis. The state of New Jersey runs the risk of losing some of the most talented and dedicated individuals due to continued discrimination regarding vaccination status.

Governor Murphy, stop wasting our money. Stop wasting our time. Stop perpetuating a public divide. YOU have the power to end this. YOU owe that to the hardworking individuals of this state.

Put an end to mandated Covid-19 Testing.