Governor Murphy has entered a self-quarantine after coming into contact with an individual last Saturday who has since tested positive for coronavirus. 

The governor was in the middle of announcing funding to support workforce development programs today when he was made aware of the situation and immediately left. Governor Murphy himself tested negative on Monday and feels fine, and he will reportedly be testing again later today.

Governor Murphy is considered at high-risk for complications from Covid-19, after undergoing surgery in March to remove a tumor from his kidney.

Governor Murphy’s communications director Mahen Gunaratna released the following statement:

“A member of the Governor’s senior staff recently tested positive for COVID-19. Per guidance from public health officials, the individual is currently quarantining at home. We have begun the contact tracing process to notify everyone who may have come into contact with our colleague during the potential infection window. Out of an abundance of caution and in line with the highest levels of commitment to protecting public health, the Governor and First Lady will be canceling their in-person events and voluntarily quarantining through the end of the weekend, and each will take an additional COVID-19 test before they resume any in-person engagements. The Governor received a coronavirus test on Monday as part of his regularly-scheduled testing regime, which came back negative. The Governor and First Lady were also tested this afternoon, which came back negative. From the beginning, the Governor’s Office has taken every precaution to limit the spread of COVID-19. Today’s exceedingly cautious steps are part of that ongoing commitment.”