New York will lift its indoor mask mandate for businesses TODAY as COVID infections plummet: Face coverings will still need to be worn in schools
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to end New York's strict in-door mask mandate on Wednesday as COVID infection rates continue to fall
- It joins other Democratic-led states like New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Delaware and Oregon in removing the mask mandates
- The governor has not said whether she also plans to let the schools mask mandate drop as it is set to expire in two weeks
- California is set to drop its in-door mask mandate on February 15 but will still keep its mandate in place for schools, public transit and nursing homes
- The White House hasn't committed to new guidance on masks and has deflected to the CDC
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will drop the state's strict indoor mask mandate on Wednesday as coronavirus cases continue to fall in New York and across the nation.
The mask mandate, which sparked heated debate throughout the state, required businesses to ask customers for proof of full vaccination or require mask-wearing indoors at all times.
The mandate was supposed to be under review come its expiration on Thursday, but people briefed on the matter told The New York Times that Hochul will let the mandate lapse as other Democratic-led states like New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Delaware and Oregon have announced an end to similar mandates.
It is yet unclear whether Hochul will renew or drop a separate mask mandate in public schools that is set to expire in two weeks.
The wave of blue states have started to drop their mask mandates while President Joe Biden and the White House are facing more pressure to look towards getting back to normal.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at her briefing on Tuesday that it was important for states to let school districts decide classroom rules and hoped leaders continued to look at the 'science and data'.
When asked for a timeline regarding new mask guidance, Psaki deflected to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
'You'll have to ask the CDC,' she said. 'The CDC moves at the pace of data and science.'
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to end the state's strict mask mandate on Wednesday
The state on Sunday reported its lowest positivity rate since omicron was identified as a worrisome variant. It came after the largest spike in cases in early January
The US has seen a dramatic decrease in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks
It is yet unclear whether Hochul will renew or drop a separate mask mandate in public schools that is set to expire in two weeks. Pictured, Glenwood Elementary school students
New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy was the first to announce a change in pandemic-related mandates on Monday when he said students and school employees in the state will no longer be required to wear masks.
Connecticut officials announced the end of their masks in school mandate by February 28, and Delaware officials said their mandate would end by March 31.
The Golden State is set to lift its indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people on February 15, though face coverings will still be required at school and other high-risk settings such as on public transit and in nursing homes, health officials said Monday.
Unvaccinated people will still be expected to wear masks indoors and health officials are currently working to reframe mask guidance for schoolchildren, state leaders said Monday.
California had temporarily lifted its indoor mask mandate for inoculated residents last fall when vaccines became available to the vast majority of adults.
However, it reintroduced the guidance last December amid a surge of cases.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown also announced on Monday that the state would do away with its mask requirements by no later than March 31.
Newsom tweeted that the mask requirement will not be renewed after the state's case rate dropped dramatically and hospitalizations have stabilized
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown also announced on Monday that the state would do away with its mask requirements by no later than March 31
With New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware setting up new guidelines on masking in school, Hochul is facing heat to also let New York's school mandate expire.
She told reporters on Monday that she'd like to see a increase in the number of children aged five through 11 inoculated before lifting the mandate for schools.
'I have a lot of metrics I'm using right now,' Hochul told reports during a visit to Ulster County. 'I'm not saying we won't get to that place, it's just premature to say.'
The state's vaccination rate for children aged 11 and under is 34 per cent.
At least 95 per cent of adult New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC.
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico, Illinois, California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii all have statewide mask mandates currently in place.
Arizona, Florida, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah have legislation banning masking mandates.
The U.S. has seen a steady drop in the daily number of COVID-19 cases, with the nation reporting 340,947 new cases on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
It's a dramatic decrease from when the U.S. recorded 1,369,637 new cases on January 10, an all time high of daily cases since the pandemic began.
Deaths, however, continue to remain high as the country reported 2,908 new deaths on Monday.
About 65 per cent of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID and about 80 per cent have gotten at least one jab.
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