Wed 09 February 2022:
The US state of New York will end its mask mandate for most indoor places starting February 10, Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We are not where we were in early December.
The mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings, like grocery stores, shops and offices, was put in place Dec.
New Yorkers did the right thing to get through the winter surge, and we can now lift the statewide mask-or-vaccine requirement for indoor businesses starting tomorrow,” Hochul said via Twitter.
Speaking from her office in New York City, Hochul said infection rates have since declined to a level where it is safe to rescind the broad masking order.
“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.”
She added that counties, cities and businesses can still require people to wear masks.
Masks, though, will still be required in some places, including in health care facilities, certain types of shelters and public transit. Private businesses will also be free to set their own masking rules for staff and patrons.
About 5,000 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in hospitals statewide as of Monday. That’s below a peak of nearly 12,700 on Jan. 11, but still double the amount of patients hospitalized Nov. 21.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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