New York Governor Kathy Hochul will lift her state’s mask mandate for indoor businesses on Thursday.
Children will still be forced to mask in schools.
Hochul said it’s time for counties, cities and businesses to make their own decisions on what they want to do with respect to masks.
Hochul warned that she has the power to reimpose Covid restrictions if she deems it necessary.
“Given the declining cases, given the declining hospitalizations, that is why we feel comfortable to lift this, in effect tomorrow,” Hochul said.
“This fight is not over, we’re not surrendering. This is not disarmament,” she added, “but again the trends are very, very positive.”
VIDEO:
NEW: New York Governor Kathy Hochul will lift New York’s mask-or-vaccine requirement for indoor businesses beginning Thursday pic.twitter.com/vuN55rex2z
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) February 9, 2022
Hochul will keep children muzzled for now and said she will revisit this requirement in the first week of March.
“After the break, after we have kids tested, we’re going to make an assessment in the first week of March,” Hochul said.
BREAKING: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the state will end a COVID-19 mask mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings, but will keep masking rules in place in schools. https://t.co/1sa9musPqo
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 9, 2022
In short, this is Democrat Kathy Hochul’s official Covid policy:
Democrat Kathy Hochul just made this the official COVID policy of the state of New York. pic.twitter.com/bhpXYU6oLH
— Tommy Pigott (@TommyPigott) February 9, 2022
