Students, teachers, and staff in New Jersey’s K-12 school will be required to wear face coverings when the fall semester begins, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday afternoon. “We understand that students learn best in a classroom setting and remain committed to having our schools open for full-time, in-person instruction this fall,” said Murphy at an elementary school in Middlesex County. “While this announcement gives us no pleasure, I know that by taking this precaution we can keep our schools open while also keeping our children safe.” The announcement contrasts with Murphy’s position in mid-July, when he said it should be left up to individual districts to decide whether to require masks, and that it would take a “wholesale deterioration in health data” for him to order them statewide. There are a few exceptions to the mask rule, according to the governor’s office, including when someone has medical conditions or disabilities …