Mask mandate to end Thursday for New York businesses, but not for schools
Mask mandate to end Thursday for New York businesses, but not for schools
New York — New York’s indoor mask mandate for businesses will end Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said today.
Businesses and local governments will still be allowed to require masks on their own.
Masks will still be required statewide in numerous places, including schools, child care centers, adult care facilities, nursing homes, health care settings, homeless shelters and on public transportation.
Declining Covid-19 numbers prompted the decision to lift the mandate for businesses, Hochul said.
“We have a very good picture that has been painted over the last few weeks,” she said. “It is time to adapt.”
Masks have been required indoors at businesses in the state since December. Businesses could forgo the mask rule if they required proof of Covid-19 vaccination from all customers and employees.
That all ends tomorrow.
Officials will assess the mask mandate for schools in early March, after winter break, Hochul said. Metrics including cases, positive test rates, hospitalizations and vaccinations will all play a role in decisions on school rules.
“We are going to look at global trends,” Hochul said. “There will not be one number that says yes or no.”
Children could easily be exposed to Covid over winter break through travel or other activities, Hochul said. She said she wants to see the effects of the break before making any changes to school masking.
But if the numbers continue to look good, Hochul said there’s a “strong possibility” school mask rules could be lifted in early March.
The state is already developing guidance for what happens in schools when the mask mandate is eventually lifted, Hochul added.
She has said several times in recent weeks she wants to see vaccination rates rise before ending school mask requirements, especially among younger kids. So far, just over 30% of kids ages 5 to 11 have been fully vaccinated, although the rate is over 70% among 12- to 17-year-olds.
The mask requirement for businesses took effect Dec. 10 just as Covid cases began to spike rapidly in New York due to the more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus.
New cases reached an all-time high of over 90,000 in early January. Hospitalizations soared over 12,000, reaching a level not seen since the winter surge of 2021.
But as in other places that saw rapid omicron spikes, the numbers in New York have been falling quickly in recent weeks.
New cases have dropped over 90% and hospitalizations are down more than 60%. The statewide percentage of people testing positive for Covid has declined from over 23% to about 4%.
Cases and hospitalizations are dropping in all areas of the state, including Central New York.
Hochul’s renewed mask mandate met with immediate resistance in certain areas. Some local officials said they wouldn’t enforce it and some groups sued.
Hochul said repeatedly the mandate was needed to help cut down on spread and prevent overwhelming the state’s hospitals.
