Face coverings are now optional for New York students enrolled in summer school.
The state relaxed the mask mandate Wednesday. Now school districts can decide if they want to enforce the rule.
The mask mandate became a flash point between school boards and parents who didn’t want their unvaccinated children to wear them.
The state health department says COVID-19 transmission rates in New York are down. That’s despite an uptick in cases among unvaccinated people who are exposed to the contagious delta variant.
For now, masks are still required for the school year this fall.
