New York Governor Kathy Hochul hinted Monday that she may soon end the COVID-19 pandemic related statewide mask mandate for public indoor spaces. But she said it may not come for another month.
The Democratic Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, announced that the state’s mask mandate for school children will end in mid March, citing plunging infection numbers.
New York’s current mask mandate for indoor public spaces, including shops, offices, restaurants and theaters, expires on Thursday. Hochul said she will make her own announcement before then about the future of the mask mandates, saying she’s encouraged by declining infection rates in New York and fewer hospitalizations.
“I’ll be making another announcement on Wednesday about one of our mask or vaccination requirements that are in place, and have been in place since early to mid December,” Hochul said.
Hochul also hinted that, like the rules change in New Jersey, the mandates might not end right away.
“I’m going to continue to head in that direction. We are hoping to get to that,” said Hochul. “That is our goal. But I am going to continue looking at the metrics.”
Hochul said she’s also looking at the ongoing mask mandate in the state’s schools. She said more children need to be vaccinated before any decisions can be made. She said just 34% of kids 5 to 11 years old have received the shots.
