Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday lifted New York’s mask mandate for school children, effective Wednesday.
The governor made that announcement two days after the Centers for Disease Control issued new guidance for mask wearing, saying it’s no longer necessary in areas that don’t have high transmission of COVID-19. Hochul said New York’s rate has dropped by 98 percent, making it time to take off the masks. The mask mandate for businesses was dropped on February 10th.
Hochul said local governments can decide if they want to keep mask mandates in place. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello and Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza said in a statement that they support the governor’s action.