Hochul to Put Statewide Mask Mandate in Effect on Monday
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday morning that the state will enact an indoor mask mandate starting Monday unless a business or organization requires proof of vaccination for entry.
The announcement comes as the latest COVID-19 cases and infection rates continue to soar throughout the region and the state. On Tuesday, Westchester County officials also confirmed its first Omicron case.
Hochul said it is her intention to make the mask mandate temporary, which will require face coverings in public spaces. Gatherings at private homes will not be affected. The policy will be reassessed on Jan. 15.
“I have to protect people but also the economy,” Hochul said. “I want to make sure that the little businesses that were hurt so hard during the pandemic and have been shut down resulting in their loss of income, the loss of income of all the people who worked for them, we have to prevent that from happening.
On Wednesday, New York State reported a 5 percent statewide positivity rate from nearly 250,000 tests administered, the third time in four days that it reached that level. Three upstate regions – Western New York, North Country and Finger Lakes – each reported a positivity rate of at least 9 percent on Dec. 8.
The Mid Hudson region, which includes Westchester and Putnam counties, had the state’s second-lowest positivity rate Wednesday at 4.1 percent. Only New York City was lower at 3.3 percent.
The state reported that Westchester had a 3.7 percent infection rate while Putnam stood at 5.7.
Meanwhile, Westchester, which exceeded 3,000 early active cases on Monday for the first time since early this year, was closing in on 4,000 cases by Wednesday, according to the county’s COVID-19 dashboard. An additional 412 confirmed cases were reported Wednesday by the Westchester Department of Health, pushing the active cases to 3,938.
Earlier this week Westchester County Executive George Latimer issued an emergency declaration but shied away from calling for a mask mandate other than the already existing requirement for face coverings for people on public transportation or to gain admittance into county buildings. However, on Friday afternoon he applauded Hochul’s decision.
“We recognize Governor Kathy Hochul for her leadership in announcing a statewide mask mandate,” Latimer said in a statement. “This pandemic has reached crisis proportions in parts of the state, and we can’t be sure that it won’t rise to equal status in the rest of the state. The Governor does not make these decisions lightly, and I respect and appreciate her steady hand in these difficult times. Westchester County will do our professional best to enforce this mask provision. At this point, this is the best move to protect the health of New Yorkers, and to protect the health of the New York State economy. It is far less restrictive than a shutdown of our businesses; it is an action that shows leadership and restraint.”
On Tuesday evening, the New Castle Town Board discussed enacting a local mask mandate for anyone on municipal property and inside places of business such as retail shops or restaurants. However, the initiative failed to receive the requisite support of three members on the four-member board.
Check for updates as more information becomes available.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
