NEW YORK (WWNY) – New York state is easing its rules about masking up because of COVID-19.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that masks will be encouraged, but optional, on public transportation and in ride-sharing vehicles, homeless shelters, and correctional facilities — all places where they’ve been mandatory.
They’re still mandatory, she said, in health care settings, including nursing homes.
Hochul said the change is because COVID numbers, including hospitalizations, have stabilized.
Adding to state officials’ confidence is the new booster shot recently approved in the U.S. that is designed to target the latest omicron variants of the virus.
“The booster’s going to be better than all of them,” Hochul said. She received her booster during a COVID-19 briefing at the Boriken Neighborhood Health Center in New York City.
“We do believe that we’re in a good place right now, especially if New Yorkers take advantage of these boosters,” she said.
To be eligible for a booster, people need to be 12 or older and not have had a shot in the past two months.
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