TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey parents will be allowed to opt-out of in-person education and choose all remote learning for their children when schools reopen this fall, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.
The Democratic governor said state education officials will be releasing guidance this week on how the process will work. He said he would further comment on the matter once the guidelines are released.
Murphy also announced that drills and practices for sports considered high-risk for the spread of the coronavirus can resume as long as they are held at outdoor venues. Sports considered high-risk include football and rugby, boxing, martial arts, wrestling, and cheerleading.
Murphy reported nine new deaths from the virus, giving the state a total of 13,741 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. Roughly 2,000 more deaths are considered probable, officials have said.
Two of the newly reported deaths occurred last month and seven were in the last three days, Murphy said. He also noted that there was reporting issues on cases over the weekend that could potentially affect the case numbers.
State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said officials were having an issue receiving Quest Labs results electronically. The labs’ numbers were not included in Monday’s report.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness or death.
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