Staff and students wearing masks at school.Photo: Getty
Beginning later this week, New York state will no longer require students wear masks while at school, according to GovernorKathy Hochul.
Amid a decline inCOVID-19 casesin the state andnew guidelinesfrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the politician, 63, announced in apress conferenceSunday that the statewide masking requirement in schools will end on March 2.
“Given the decline in our rates, our hospitalizations, strong vaccination rates and the CDC guidance, my friends, the day has come,” Hochul said. “Today we are going to be announcing that we will be lifting the statewide mask requirement in schools.”
She noted, however, that counties and cities with higher transmission rates may still implement a mask mandate, despite the overall ruling for the state. Hochul added that parents can still send their children to school in masks, should they desire.
In her remarks, Hochul also urged residents to treat those who continue to wear masks with respect. “We will not stand for any bullying or ostracization or harassment of an individual or a business or anyone who chooses to wear a mask, as we’re still going through this,” the governor said. “We’re going to continue distributing masks, we’re going to continue distributing test kits. We’re going to continue our aggressive vaccination strategies.”
Masks are still required in New York state while using public transit, such as aboard subways and trains, and in state healthcare facilities, including nursing homes, as well as prisons and shelters.
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul.Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
“If we see no unforeseen spikes and our numbers continue to show a low level of risk, New York City will remove the indoor mask mandate for public school children, effective next Monday, March 7,” he said in astatement.
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Adams, 61, also said Manhattan would drop its “Key to NYC” mandate, which requires proof of vaccination at indoor spots such as restaurants, gyms and entertainment spaces, on March 7 — so long as “there are no surprises this week.”
“This will give business owners the time to adapt and will allow us to ensure we are making the best public health decisions for the people of New York,” he explained.
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The decision in New York State comes after the CDC dropped itsnationwide mask recommendationlast week. Now, the organization is leaving the decision up to local governments, advising only those with high COVID-19 transmission levels to retain their mask mandates.
In a major change from past guidance, the CDC said that withCOVID-19 transmission levels down in most of the country,the mask mandate is no longer needed for areas with low or medium case rates, which is currently about 70% of the country.
“We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when our levels are low and then have the ability to reach for them again,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a press briefing Friday. “Should things get worse in the future, we, as the CDC, will continue to follow the science and epidemiology to make public health recommendations and guidance.”
The new guidelines do not apply to thefederal requirement for masks on airplanes and in airports, which is currently set to expire on March 18. Walensky said that the requirement will be reevaluated closer to that date.
The CDC’s guidance, though, can change if another variant emerges or if case rates go back up again.
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source: people.com
