Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul will announce the termination of the state’s mask mandate on Wednesday, becoming the latest Democratically-led state to loosen coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the New York Times reports.
The state regulation was scheduled to expire Thursday, so Hochul will essentially just let the existing rule expire without renewing it. The decision comes as New York has seen a sharp drop-off in new coronavirus cases caused by the winter spike of the omicron variant.
Democratic leaders in California, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon have all dropped their mask requirements in recent weeks as the spread of the omicron variant abated. None of those states have ordered county or local governments to drop mask mandates, allowing them to keep or reinstate them if cases rise.