NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — With the rapid decline in COVID-19 case counts, Gov. Kathy Hochul appears to be on the verge of changing statewide masking rules for schools, suggesting on Friday that new guidance could be implemented shortly.
"We'll be making some announcements in the short term as we see the numbers progressing," Hochul said during her a news conference on Friday.
Hochul's optimistic outlook comes as the number of cases in New York has dropped from roughly 90,000 to around 7,700 in less than a month and as positivity rates continue to decline.
"It appears the worst of the winter surge is over," she added.
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Despite the fact that 95% of adult New Yorkers have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 85% have completed their vaccinations, Hochul said Friday that she would "love" to see an increase in children's vaccinations.
"I would love to see that trend line of more younger children being vaccinated as we start making decisions about schools and that's something we get asked a lot about," the governor said. "'When are masks coming off in schools?' We'll be making some announcement in the short term as we see these numbers progressing."
Approximately 80% of New Yorkers aged 12 to 17 have received their first dose, with close to 70% having completed the series.
In the meantime, 37% of children aged 5 to 11 received their first dose, with nearly 29% completing the series.
Hochul said she'll seek advice from medical experts and continue to check the data. The state's school mask law is set to expire on Feb. 21.
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