Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The mask indoor mask mandate for Erie County buildings will end effective Monday and the vaccine mandate for Key Bank Center will be listed as well.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz made the announcement on Twitter Saturday after the CDC listed Erie County in the "medium" category of COVID transmission. Case numbers and hospitalizations in Erie County have continued to decline recently from record-setting peaks for new confirmed cases and hospitalizations seen during the omicron variant surge.
The county action does not affect the state-imposed mask mandates for schools or health care, which remain in effect.
"The CDC's Community Level indicators show that Erie County is on the right track in the fight against the virus, and our own information about COVID-19 in the community corroborates what they are seeing," said Poloncarz in a statement. "The mask mandate in Erie County buildings will be lifted as of Monday February 28. We are still closely monitoring the spread of the virus and will take other actions as necessary and when possible."
"This also affects the hockey arena, as well as the football stadium," Poloncarz tells WBEN. "The mask mandate(slash) vaccine mandate at the hockey arena will not longer be in effect, effective Monday morning."
It's all encouraging news to Poloncarz, but he still keeps it top of mind that COVID is not going away completely. "I'm pleased in the situation we are today, compared to where we were just about a month and a half ago."
