N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy keeps mask guidelines despite CDC recommendations FILE – In this Dec. 15, 2020, file photo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy speaks during a news conference after witnessing the first coronavirus vaccinations at University Hospital’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) OAN Newsroom UPDATED 1:13 PM PT – Wednesday, May 19, 2021 Densely populated east coast states New York and Pennsylvania have announced they are lifting their mask mandates amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, New Jersey has said they’re not quite ready to make the switch. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has chosen to ignore updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and instead is opting to keep his state’s mask mandate in place.