Upon receiving a Covid-19 vaccination, vaccinated individuals receive a small card that confirms when they were administered the shot. Governor Murphy is saying that those cards should be kept, as he is considering having them used as “vaccine passports” to allow people to board planes or attend large events. 

“Don’t get rid of the card, that’s likely to be something valuable,” Murphy said in an interview with CNBC. “Laminate it and put it in your wallet.”

Murphy’s comments received quick criticism from the Republican Governors Association, who said that the idea “is a health privacy minefield” and that “hardworking New Jersey residents have the right to keep their health care decisions between themselves and their doctor, and we don’t need Phil Murphy in the waiting room telling patients to make sure they ‘laminate’ their vaccine card on the way out.”

Murphy responded that their rebuke of him is “all politics” and that he doesn’t think using vaccination cards as “vaccine passport” is a “crazy idea.” Murphy said that his administration will follow the guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but would also have its own independent process as well.

The governor added in a Monday morning interview on CNN that he does not expect to further loosen Covid-19 restrictions in New Jersey “for some time” as some hotspots crop up across the state.

“My guess is we won’t be opening capacity for some time now because of the caseload,” Murphy said.