Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Feb. 9, 2022 By Christian Murray
New York State’s indoor mask mandate will come to an end Thursday, although it will remain in effect for schools until at least early March.
The mandate for businesses is being dropped statewide Thursday, although local governments and businesses have the option to continue to keep the mask rules in place, Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a press briefing Wednesday.
“At this time, we say that it’s the right decision to lift this mandate for indoor businesses and let counties, cities and businesses to make their own decisions on what they want to do with respect to mask or vaccination requirement,” she said.
In New York City, proof of vaccination is still required to dine indoors as well as to work out at gyms and go to the movies. That requirement, implemented through an executive order by the mayor, remains in place for now.
Hochul put in place a state mask-or-vaccine mandate in December, requiring businesses to ask for proof of full vaccination or require mask-wearing at all times. The requirement came when there was a surge in cases as the Omicron variant took hold.
Hochul said she would make a decision concerning the school mask mandate during the first week of March. She wants to wait until after the mid-winter break before making a final decision.
She said that she would not take a “reactive” approach to masking in schools. Currently, the vaccination rate among New York residents between 5-11 years old remains low. More than 60 percent have not been fully vaccinated.
Masks will continue to be required at nursing homes, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and on public transit.
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9 Comments
Please mask up; wash your hands as if you were Joan Crawford; and take Vitamin D. I love all my neighbors although I am a bit paranoid!
Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean Covid’s not after you.
Happy Valentines Day to you, my secret imposter.
Things just keep getting better and better in nyc which is the greatest city in the world! Looking forward to visiting my friends in Sunnyside when shootings and crime goes down. You all should celebrate.
I’ll continue to follow CDC guidelines for now (cdc.gov). So not much is changing for me, and I’m not giving up my masks, and not dining indoors either. Covid isn’t over and the virus continues to mutate. Omicron’s new sister, a subvariant named Omicron BA.2, is even more easily transmissible than Omicron.
Please get your kids vaccinated when eligible, and stay up-to-date on your vaccines and boosters.
I love you and plan on getting vaccinated every other month
Please mask up and take your vitamin D!
Sorry my friend, you can’t boost that often, even if you were to try and steal other people’s names (like you do here). And the max safe upper limit of Vitamin D intake is 4,000 IU per day…for adults (which counts you out).
I didn’t even know there was a mask mandate. I seen people in stores without masks and no staff or customer said anything. By the spring they will probably tell us we do not need vaccination proof to get into places and events. NYC is a mess. Four of my neighbors just moved to North Carolina last week.
So what was the point of telling everyone they need kn type masks and that cloth masks are not effective on the news and commercials up until today? My kn masks are still being shipped. I guess this is the governors way of trying to stop the NYC middle class and wealthy from visiting and moving to places like Florida.
I’ve only had the cloth masks. I get tested often. Never once have I gotten covid despite being exposed to infected people many times (NYC doe). The kn masks are ridiculous. Adult size is too small for me who had a small head for an adult. Ripping my ears off. AND they don’t fit properly/snug where it’s most important.