Gov. Phil Murphy, on Aug. 24, reminded New Jerseyans in a tweet of the New Jersey Department of Health’s regional metrics for coronavirus health and safety risks that help guide local reopening decision making.
“Using this health data, our determination is that each region in each state IS safe for school reopening, with the right precautions in place,” said Murphy.
The matrix divides the state into six geographical regions by county, and, on a weekly basis, classifies each into one of four color-coded categories. The categories characterize risk as low (green), moderate (yellow), high (orange), and very high (red).
The N.J. Department of Health on Aug. 13 released a memo that includes recommendations on when to close schools and how to handle positive COVID-19 cases.