New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said mask mandates for businesses statewide will be lifted when they expire Thursday, a step toward returning the state to normalcy as COVID-19 cases decrease following a winter surge.
Hochul said the end of the mandate means that businesses no longer need to require proof of vaccination or masks indoors. The end of the mandate comes after hospitalizations receded by 63% between Jan. 12 and Feb. 9, according to NBC News, and the state’s weekly positive rate had lowered to 4% as of Monday.
“Why is all this happening? Because New Yorkers and businesses stepped up and did the right thing,” Hochul said in a press conference. “I will always be grateful for them for being the reason these numbers have been declining.”
NO END IN SIGHT: NEW YORK HAS MADE ‘NO DECISION’ ON SCRAPPING SCHOOL MASK MANDATE
Although the mandate is now dropped, it’s up to each county and business to decide whether it will end the mandate personally. New York City is not expected to drop the mandate, according to the New York Post.
The end of the mandate comes after the order faced scrutiny and legal challenges. Imposed on Dec. 13 amid a rise in cases from the omicron variant, the mandate was struck down by a state Supreme Court judge Jan. 23, who said state officials do not have the authority to impose a mandate without approval. It was then restored on Jan. 24 by an appeals court.
Despite the trend showing a decrease in cases, Hochul said the mandate will remain in effect for schools for the time being, as she hopes to see a higher vaccination rate among children. Hochul added she will make the decision to remove the mandate after Feb. 21.
“I am optimistic that we’re trending in that direction, but I still need the time,” Hochul said, according to the New York Times.
Mask mandates for public transit and healthcare facilities will also remain in effect.
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The change in New York policy comes after a poll by Echelon Insights said 55% of respondents believe the virus should be treated as “endemic,” meaning it will never fully go away, compared to 38% who said it should be treated as a national emergency. In a poll of 800 Americans by Monmouth University, 70% said the country needs to get on with their lives and accept COVID-19 is here to stay. It also saw a decrease in support for masking and vaccine mandates.
Other blue states lifted mandates to help their residents return to pre-COVID life. New Jersey and Connecticut recently announced they were ending mask mandates in public schools, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending that children remain masked.
State officials said Hochul made her decision to end the mandate based on science and trend numbers, not because of other states, according to the New York Times.
