The Peru Gazette

Assemblyman Billy Jones, “With Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement today lifting the mask mandates for businesses, I want to thank local business owners and patrons for their patience over the past couple of months.  I agree with both New York State United Teachers and New York State Council of School Superintendents who have called on the Governor to provide reasonable and achievable metrics for when the mandate will be lifted. All institutions that still have mask mandates also need clear guidance for when the requirements can be lifted. It’s also important to note that the best defense against COVID-19 is getting vaccinated and boosted.”

State Senator Dan Stec, “The decision by Gov. Hochul to lift the mask mandate on small businesses was long overdue,” Stec said. “Much of the country has been easing COVID-related restrictions for weeks and the mask mandate seemed more about political science than trusting the actual science.

“I encourage the governor to take the next step and end the mask mandates for schools,” he added. “Numerous studies have shown the detrimental effects masks have had on students’ social, emotional and intellectual development. Rather than postpone a decision on this for another month, we must move forward and repeal this mandate on our students and teachers.”

Hochul said she remained reluctant to lift New York’s school mask mandate in part due to the low COVID-19 vaccination rate among children ages 5 to 11, with just 38% of kids in the group receiving at least the first of Pfizer-BioNtech’s two-dose vaccine series as of Tuesday.

“This is all about looking out for the health of our children,” Hochul said Wednesday, asserting the mask mandate in schools in part helped New York limit outbreaks and sustain in-person learning this fall and winter.