Posted on 03/24/2021 6:53:37 PM PDT by lightman
New Jersey officials on Wednesday said they’re following social media posts promoting a protest calling for people to go shopping at Freehold Raceway Mall on Saturday without face masks more than a year into restrictions to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
“Not only we are aware of this ridiculous flyer that’s gone around about maskless shopping, but I am personally aware of it and extremely unhappy about it,” Gov. Phil Murphy said during his latest COVID-19 briefing in Trenton.
The origin of the “maskless shopping” protest is unclear, but officials said they were aware of the event being organized by the Patriot Party of New Jersey before a reporter asked about it during Wednesday’s briefing. At least one version of the flyer that appears on Twitter lists a specific time and meeting place, though the authenticity could not be verified.
State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan said authorities have not yet sent guidance to local law enforcement or store owners on how to handle the matter, but he said he’s disappointed that businesses would have to worry.
“At a time when businesses have been struggling, to put them in a position they may have to close their doors seemed hard to fathom for us,” Callahan said.
Murphy echoed his concern for mall security and staff.
“They’re not law enforcement,” the Democratic governor said of stores. “And to put them in a position — the overwhelming amount of whom have been doing the right thing for day in and day out now, for 13 months — to make them be the guy or gal at the door that has to say to some knucklehead who’s trying to make a political statement, ‘Actually, you can’t come in,’ therefore you lose the business, and/or you get into a confrontation, that’s the last thing we need right now.”
The state Department of Homeland Security is investigating as well, Murphy said. A message left Wednesday afternoon for management at the mall was not immediately returned.
Stores in New Jersey have been limited to half capacity since June to help fight the pandemic. Customers and staff are required to wear masks while indoors under Murphy’s executive orders.
Republicans have routinely criticized the governor for his measures, arguing they go too far while businesses are struggling for survival.
The protest plans comes as New Jersey sees recent upticks in COVID-19 cases. The state on Wednesday reported another 3,227 confirmed cases of and 28 additional confirmed deaths, while the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state was above 2,000 for the second straight day.
The state’s seven-day average for new confirmed cases is now 3,339, up 6% from a week ago and 35% from a month ago.
Meanwhile, New Jersey health facilities and vaccine centers have now administered about 3.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine — including about 1.29 million people considered fully-vaccinated, according to state data.
The state’s goal is to vaccinate 70% of its eligible adults — about 4.7 million people — by the end of May. More than 18% of the adult population is fully vaccinated and more than half of adults have been administered at least one shot.
Murphy said Wednesday the state’s vaccine supply is set to increase about 19% next week, to nearly half a million doses.
Horrors. Folks not wearing masks.
Big Brother is not pleased.
Next time, just do it. Don’t give so much advance notice.
Idk. There is something to be said for announced peaceful protestations. Tyrants can not resist the temptation to be tyrannical and it becomes obvious to even the walking dead when they do it.
Time for a MEA Party
M asked
E nough
A lready
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it“
It’s beyond time the people exercised their rights and alter or abolish a few state governments.
Of course Covid cases are up - they are up in every Blue State since Red States have lifted restrictions. 4th wave/surge to start in 30 seconds.
flyer that’s gone around about maskless shopping, but I am personally aware of it
and extremely unhappy about it,”
Much ado about nothing. Get over it ya little douchenozzle.
Then screw him for being upset about healthy adults not wearing masks.
SMURFY is a Moron.. It’s Common Sense Not Politics!
I never understood how mask wearing became politicized in this country. My grandparents served in WWII. In doing so they gave up a significant amount of freedom to do as they pleased in order to protect their countrymen, yet I am supposed to get worked up over wearing a little bit of cloth over my face to protect those around me?
Politicizing every single thing might be why the US is a basket case compared to the rest of the world in COVID cases.
USA: 92,367 cases per million
Sweden: 75,503 cases per million
Germany: 32,268 cases per million
Canada: 24,916 cases per million
Japan: 3,638 cases per million
South Korea: 1,955 cases per million
Taiwan: 42 cases per million
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
Yeah you should get worked up. The mask isn’t doing a damn thing positive.
Love to see psychopath Governor Murphy with 4 masks tied around —— his Mafia neck. He’s one of New Jersey’s psychos like every other Democrat Irish politician in the area including Malone, Murphy, Murray and the nutcase in Washington State of same name.
I love the Irish but not these Marxist wackos and hatemongers. Why people continue to vote for them is one for the next annual Psychologists/Psychiatrists” conventions.
It's an interesting way to get people to actually visit a shopping mall, but whatever.
Last time I was there (pre-pandemic) was to get my iPhone battery replaced at the Apple Store. The rest of the mall was as quiet as a tomb.
Yeah you should get worked up. The mask isn’t doing a damn thing positive.
If that's the case why is the US doing worse than other countries that have a higher rate of mask wearing?
We’re not doing worse. Those countries are experiencing second and third wave of this thing.
We’re not. Get your head out of the sand and do some real research.
I’m surrounded by this thing everyday, I work in a hospital ER and the number of Covid admissions have been going down.
I’m surrounded by this thing everyday, I work in a hospital ER and the number of Covid admissions have been going down.
I don't doubt that what you say is true. The data does show that daily new cases and number of infected people decreasing in the US. Unfortunately a decrease from a very large number can still be a large number. Yesterday the US recorded 76,976 new cases. Literally the only country with a higher number of new cases was Brazil at 82,558.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
Get your head out of the sand and do some real research.
Okay, so where do you suggest I start? What numbers are you looking at? Numbers from doctors and scientists, not businesspeople with a financial interest in getting Americans to consume like it's 2019 again.
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