Hochul: Masks now optional in mass transit, shelters, etc.
This photo, provided by Office of the Governor of New York, shows New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as she receives a COVID-19 booster shot at the Boriken Neighborhood Health Center, in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (Don Pollard / Office of the Governor of New York via AP)
Masks are now optional on New York state mass transit, and in shelters, correctional facilities and detention centers.
Gov. Hochul made the announcement on Wednesday, citing new CDC guidance.
In a COVID briefing on Friday, Hochul says the current COVID average in the state is 17.89 cases per 100,000 people – off a peak of 366 cases earlier this year.
Hospitalizations are also down to 2,200 from a peak of around 10,000.
“This is not a one day snapshot. This is watching the trends, and we’re seeing a stabilization,” said Hochul.
Hochul ended the briefing by getting her new booster shot, specifically targeted to the omicron COVID variant.
She says you can get the shot if it’s been more than two months since your last booster.
“We do believe that we’re in a good place right now, especially if New Yorkers take advantage of this booster. That is how we get back to not just a new normal, but a ‘normal’ normal,” said Hochul.