New York State
Health Commissioner Howard Zucker says masks will no longer be required inside
schools or at camps barring any objection for the Centers for Disease Control and
Protection (CDC).
The new guidance would allow those that are fully vaccinated to not wear a mask
inside or outside.
Those that are not fully vaccinated are encouraged, but not required to wear
masks inside.
Everyone at the schools or camps are not required to wear masks outdoors.
Students and campers are encouraged to wear face coverings in what the state
calls “high-risk” situations.
Zucker’s letter to the CDC was critical of what he says is a lack of
distinction for mask wearing inside versus outside, and does not specify for
people who are vaccinated.
Zucker also didn’t understand why the rules for schools and camps are different
since he says many camps are on school grounds.
Yonkers parent Paullette Flores says she is fine with the potential new mask
mandate.
“I think that most of us are fully vaccinated,” Flores says. “I feel like it’s
too long of a day for them to have the mask.”
Specific schools
and camps can still have their own stricter rules.