Critics of the requirement to wear a mask inside school buildings across New York state cheered Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to end it effective Wednesday, calling the move long overdue.
Calls to end the mask mandate were bipartisan, including from Democratic lawmakers in the state Legislature who pointed to the federal Centers for Disease Control backing recommendations that indoor mask-wearing was no longer necessary in areas with low COVID transmission.
Hochul had been facing significant political pressure to lift the mask mandate amid a heated political debate over the ongoing rule in schools. Polling had shown New York voters backed her initial plan to make a decision on mask-wearing in schools after the winter break concluded. But voters with children were divided over the issue, a Siena College poll released last week found.
On Sunday, Hochul pointed to the CDC's recommendation for indoor mask-wearing announced Friday. County governments will also be able to keep mask rules in place if they choose.
The decision also came on the eve of the Republican state convention, which is set to gather on Long Island starting Monday.
Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, who is expected to receive the party's designation for governor this week, called the decision by Hochul long overdue.
“Finally, Kathy Hochul has succumbed to the pressure of millions of parents, teachers and New Yorkers fighting to unmask our kids," Zeldin said. "Unfortunately, for too many New York children, the damage of extensive, over the top COVID restrictions has already been done. They can never get back the years and months kids were masked up, the time spent stuck in remote learning, and the significant life events that were canceled, but, finally, moving forward, our children will be able to see the smiles of their teachers and classmates once again.”
State lawmakers had called for metrics to determine when the end of the mask rule would be triggered. Hochul had pointed to a variety of factors without firm numbers, including new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as well as the potential of emerging variants on the order of the highly contagious omicron version of COVID-19.
Democratic lawmakers, too, were increasingly anxious to see a change in the policy's direction for schools after the mandate for mask-wearing indoors for businesses ended earlier in February.
On Friday, state Sen. Shelley Mayer, the top Democrat on the Senate Education Committee, called for a change citing the CDC guidance. Mayer said the change should "prompt Gov. Hochul to take action in accordance with that guidance."
The state's authority to put the mask mandate in place — both indoors for businesses as well as for schools — was being challenged in court. A lower court had struck down the ruling, and the state was appealing the decision.
“Ending the school mask mandate is welcome news and an overdue victory for children and parents. It’s taken Gov. Hochul far too long to arrive at this decision," said Assembly Will Barclay. "Republicans were calling for this step to be taken weeks ago when other states had already started to unmask children and after the state supreme court struck down the mandate."
But not all were critical of Hochul's handling of the mask rule.
New York State United Teachers, the labor organization, called her decision to lift it "a step toward normalcy."
"The governor is striking the right balance by empowering local officials to use data to determine if and when the mitigation strategies need to change in their areas," said President Andy Pallotta. "As the guidance changes, one thing must remain constant: It’s essential that districts work closely with educators to ensure there is confidence in their health and safety plans.”