“Gov. Hochul’s decision to lift the statewide indoor mask mandate is long past due and welcome news. However, dropping it some places but not others make little sense. While other states have seen fit to lift the mask restrictions for school children, Gov. Hochul insists on keeping it in place here, even as the state Supreme Court ruled the mandate an improper overreach of her power.

As COVID-19 rates drop dramatically, and vaccine and booster rates continue to rise, it is time to end the mask mandate altogether and restore some normalcy to New York’s school children.

We have not been in a state of emergency for many months, and Gov. Hochul must start acknowledging that in her actions.”