Inside Gov. Hochul's Decision to Lift 'Mask or Vax' Rule in New York

ALBANY, N.Y. — As the highly contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus fueled a sudden surge in cases in mid-December, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York moved aggressively to try to blunt its rapid spread.

She imposed a mask-or-vaccine mandate, requiring businesses to ask for proof of full vaccination or require mask wearing at all times.

The mandate was implemented with little controversy in places like New York City, which already had stringent mask rules. But it also became a political quagmire for Ms. Hochul, drawing legal challenges, refusals to enforce the rule in conservative corners of the state and criticism from one of her Democratic primary rivals.

On Wednesday, Ms. Hochul is expected to announce that she will let the mask mandate expire this week, a watershed moment in the state’s coronavirus pandemic response as the Omicron variant, now known to cause milder effects than scientists originally understood, continues to recede.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/inside-gov-hochuls-decision-to-lift-mask-or-vax-rule-in-new-york/ar-AATE0wr