A mid-level appeals court judge temporarily reinstated Governor Kathy Hochul’s mask mandate on indoor spaces and schools Tuesday, capping a day of confusion for school districts across the state who didn’t know if their students should mask up or not.
The Appellate Division judge put a temporary stay on the lower court judge’s order overturning the mask mandate. That Supreme Court Judge ruled that Governor Hochul and the State Health Department didn’t have the authority to impose such an order on their own without a law approved by the legislature.
The mask mandate will remain in effect pending an Appellate Division hearing.