What you should know
- All child care center workers in New York are now required to wear face coverings under a plan announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday.
- The Democratic governor says the requirement is effective “now” and applies to all staff and visitors to state-regulated child care centers.
- Some New York school districts have announced lawsuits against the school mask mandate: Leaders of at least two Long Island school boards said Hochul and state health commissioner Howard Zucker lack the legal authority to demand masks.
—
NEW YORK – All child care center workers in New York are now required to wear face coverings under a plan announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday.
The Democratic governor said the requirement is effective “now” and applies to all staff and visitors at state-regulated child care centers.
Hochul cited the increase in COVID-19 cases among children and the lack of a vaccine for children under the age of 12.
New York already requires people to wear masks in schools, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, transportation centers, and certain healthcare settings like hospitals.
Some school districts in New York have announced lawsuits against the school mask mandate: Leaders of at least one Long Island school board argue that Hochul and state health commissioner Howard Zucker lack the legal authority to demand masks.
David Stewart, chairman of the board of directors for Christian Central Academy in Erie County, has said the private school is suing to “defend our policies and position on God-given parental rights.”
New York governors have the power to suspend regulations in a state of emergency.
In the spring of 2020, state lawmakers gave former Gov. Andrew Cuomo absolute power to pass new regulations as well, an authority that ended when the state of emergency expired this summer.
But Hochul has defended his administration’s decision to require masks in schools across the state, arguing that the state government has always had the authority to take the necessary steps to address a pandemic.
And he has said that mask mandates can keep kids in school five days a week. The governor has also said mask mandates could be eased once infection rates drop and children can be vaccinated.
About 62% of New Yorkers are fully vaccinated, with rates as low as 36% in rural Allegany County.
Hochul hopes to vaccinate more young people: He’s raffling off 125 tickets to the upcoming Governors Ball Music Festival for people who get vaccinated in certain emerging venues.
And he said he is authorizing EMTs to administer COVID-19 vaccines to address anticipated staff shortages as his administration prepares to roll out the booster vaccines.
New York began to see an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations from July to mid-August, when rates began to stabilize at levels well below the spring 2020 and winter 2021 peaks.
Hospitals reported nearly 2,500 confirmed COVID-19 patients as of Monday, up 50% from the 1,650 on Aug. 14.
An average of about 4,900 people tested positive for COVID-19 each day in New York for the seven days through Monday. That’s from a low of 307 in late June.
– .
