New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday the state’s indoor mask mandate for businesses that do not require vaccinations would be extended to Feb. 10.
In a press briefing, the Democrat said the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in the state is too high despite the recent downward trends of daily cases. The mandate, which was set to expire Tuesday, will be reevaluated every two weeks, she added.
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“That has been a critical tool in driving those numbers down. They could’ve been even more out of control,” she said. “If we continue on this downward trend, we’ll be in a good place. If it levels off, if something happens, I need that flexibility.”
The mandate was put in place last December when the state began experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases as the omicron variant began to spread. Businesses that fail to either mandate masks or vaccinations from customers could face fines of up to $1,000 under the mandate.
Hochul also noted the state’s mask mandate for schools would remain in effect.
On Monday, the state Supreme Court ruled the mandate could not be enforced. The high court determined the state’s Department of Health did not have the authority to implement the mandate.
The court ruled that it needed to come from the state legislature. However, the state’s Court of Appeals, which ranks higher than the state’s Supreme Court, granted a stay Tuesday. This means the mandate is temporarily in effect pending the appeal.
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COVID-19 cases in New York have declined significantly over recent weeks. The state reported 16,887 cases Thursday — well below its record high of 132,093 cases on Jan. 3, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The state estimates that 84.3% of its population over the age of 18 has been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This is above the national average of 74%, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
