New Jersey governor expresses hope that mask mandates in schools will be lifted permanently.

• Gov. Phil Murphy stated on Monday that New Jersey's school mask mandate may no longer be enforced in the future.
• The Democrat stated, "I believe it's impossible to say for certain that they'll never be done."
• "Murphy stated that it seems like we are approaching the transition from pandemic to endemic, and that we will be able to manage this situation in a responsible manner, similar to how we handle the flu," according to the source.

Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey expressed optimism that the state's school mask mandate will not be reinstated, indicating it is part of a transition to managing the coronavirus as a risk in society.

In a "Squawk Box" interview, Murphy announced the end of New Jersey's universal face-covering requirement in schools, which coincided with his official expiration date of Monday, set in early February, due to a decrease in Covid cases and hospitalizations, as well as an increase in vaccinations among students.

Murphy acknowledged the difficulties of predicting future Covid variants and transmission, stating that no one can say for sure if they're done forever.

It feels like we're on the road to living with the pandemic in a normal way, like we do with the flu," he said. "Let's hope it stays that way.

While some school districts have decided to mandate masks in the building, most of New Jersey's largest districts have opted to make face coverings optional, according to NJ.com reporting.

The governor stated that private colleges in New Jersey have the right to decide whether or not to require masks, and that it is up to them to make that decision.

We are expressing our stance by taking our feet off pre-K through 12, including day care, as we believe it is responsible to do so. We anticipate making a move on state offices where we still have a mandate in place. The mandate is likely to be lifted soon, and we expect to return to a more normal state sooner than expected.

Over 90% of the U.S. population resided in counties where they did not need to wear masks indoors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines.

The CDC's guidelines for face mask usage in a county are based on the number of Covid hospitalizations and severe cases.