New York Schools Mask Mandate Expected To Be Extended

Today New York State Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to announce new mask mandates for New York State.

She is expected to relax the mask mandate for businesses across the state, but as for schools in the state, she is expected to extend the current mask mandate until after their February break.

The New York Post reported that during her meeting today, Hochul is expected to extend the school mask mandate until after the upcoming break. Most schools in New York State go on break the week of February 21st and return to school on February 28h.

This would give the Governor time to see if there is an increase in COVID-19 positive cases while the kids were on break and away from school.

There could be pressure on the Governor to end the school mask mandate earlier as both New Jersey and Connecticut announced that they will end their mask mandates for schools in the next coming weeks.

Governor Hochul met with school teachers, administrators, and other schools officials on Tuesday to discuss possible changes to the mask mandate.

In a statement, the Governor said keeping schools open for in-class instruction is a top priority for the state.

“Keeping schools open has always been my top priority, and I want to thank the teachers, administrators, and parents who joined me today to hear directly from them. I want to also remind parents and guardians to please get their children vaccinated, and boosted if eligible. The vaccine is safe, free, doctor-approved and the key to keeping our communities and vulnerable loved ones safe.”

If the Governor does choose to extend the mask mandates for schools, she could extend as much as 90 days when the current mandate expires.