Today, Governor Hochul announced that, while the indoor mask mandate for business will end tomorrow (Feb. 10, 2022), masks will still be required in certain settings, including schools.
In early March, the state will make an assessment on mask protocols in schools based on the latest metrics. This includes cases per 100K, percent positivity, hospital admissions, pediatric hospitalizations, vaccinations, and global trends.
As you know, earlier this week school superintendents throughout our BOCES region sent a letter to New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett advocating for the DOH to work with our school districts to chart a clear path forward. We were very pleased to hear that the state is currently drafting guidelines (if the mask mandate were to end) based on feedback from state education groups.
Thank you for your continued support. We are hopeful that the state will provide well thought out guidance in early March that will put us on a path to a return to normalcy. Please continue to be patient as we prepare to transition to the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. As always, we will keep our community informed of any and all changes to our health and safety protocols.