BUFFALO, New York (WWNY) – Gov. Kathy Hochul promises not to micromanage local approaches to battling the COVID-19 delta variant.
“There will be a different philosophy in how we do this,” she told local leaders at the University at Buffalo Tuesday.
“I know that all your local health departments have been preparing for this,” she said. “This is what you do.”
The approach is a marked difference from her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo, who is known for his top-down management style.
“I will not be micromanaging, but I will be giving guidance based on your input,” she said.
“You tell us where there’s gaps,” she said, “tell us where something needs to be enhanced by the state and we’ll be there without stepping on the public health agencies.
Hochul also talked about the need to increase vaccinations statewide, especially in the 12 to 17 age group.
“We need to get more people vaccinated,” she said.
The governor talked about keeping children safe as they head back to school. The state has already announced that everyone in school needs to wear a mask.
She said, though, that the mandates can be flexible, depending on local conditions.
If infections rates drop in some parts of the state, she said, mandates could be lifted in those areas.
“The circumstances are going to change in some areas,” she said, “so I’ll be very flexible in allowing localities to tell me about what’s happening on the ground in their communities.”
Hochul said the state is exploring mandating vaccinations or testing for all school staff.
“We in the process of getting the legal clearance for that as I speak,” she said.
The state is also looking into mandating that workers in all state-regulated facilities be vaccinated, she said, with no opt-out for testing.
Hochul also talked about rolling out booster shots for those already vaccinated. She announced the state is making $65 million available for localities to set up booster vaccinations.
“You figure it out,” she said. “You know your communities better than anybody.”
Copyright 2021 WWNY. All rights reserved.
