New York judge strikes down state COVID mask mandate
2 years, 10 months ago

New York judge strikes down state COVID mask mandate

Al Jazeera  

The mandate had been issued by governor after Kathy Hochul declared state of emergency amid Omicron spread. A New York state judge has struck down a mandate that required the wearing of masks in public places as a COVID-19 precaution, ruling the governor overstepped her authority in imposing the restriction. In the ruling on Monday, Judge Thomas Rademaker of New York State Supreme Court on Long Island found that the state legislature last year curbed any governor’s ability to issue decrees, such as a mask mandate, amid a declared state of emergency. In the meantime, New York state education officials told school administrators to continue enforcing the state’s mask mandate for students and teachers despite the judge’s ruling overturning it. Rademaker wrote that his ruling is not intended in any way to question or otherwise opine on the efficacy, need, or requirement of masks as a means or tool in dealing with the COVID-19 virus, but that “enacting any laws to this end is entrusted solely to the State Legislature.” Hochul’s Democrats hold large majorities in both houses of the New York state legislature.

New York Public Covid Mandate Ruling York New Yorkers Hochul Mask Omicron State Judge  mask  ruling  strikes  york  masks  supreme  covid  court  state  judge  hochul  mandate  public

History of this topic

Federal lawsuit challenging mask ban in suburban New York county dismissed
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Federal lawsuit challenging mask ban in suburban New York county dismissed

Associated Press  

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — A judge on Wednesday dismissed a federal lawsuit challenging a suburban New York ban on wearing masks in public except for health and religious reasons. The class action lawsuit was filed last month by Disability Rights New York on behalf of two individuals with disabilities against Nassau County’s Mask Transparency Act, or MTA. But U.S. District …

Federal lawsuit challenges mask ban in suburban New York county, claims law is discriminatory
4 months ago

Federal lawsuit challenges mask ban in suburban New York county, claims law is discriminatory

Associated Press  

MINEOLA, N.Y. — A disability rights organization is challenging a suburban New York ban on wearing masks in public except for health and religious reasons, arguing it is unconstitutional and discriminates against people with disabilities. “This mask ban poses a direct threat to public health and discriminates against people with disabilities.” Timothy A. Clune, executive director of the rights organization, …

Suburban New York county bans wearing of masks to hide identity
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Suburban New York county bans wearing of masks to hide identity

Associated Press  

MINEOLA, N.Y. — Lawmakers in a suburban New York county have approved a bill to ban masks in public places with exemptions for people who cover their faces for health reasons or religious or cultural purposes. Supporters said the bill approved Monday by the Republican-controlled Nassau County Legislature on Long Island would prevent violent protesters from hiding their identity. “Masks …

NY governor’s subway mask ban proposal sparks debate over right to anonymous protest
6 months, 1 week ago

NY governor’s subway mask ban proposal sparks debate over right to anonymous protest

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A new proposal by Gov. “Because mask wearing is such a broad activity, done by so many people for so many reasons, it creates a real danger of selective prosecution against disfavored groups,” he said, adding that “COVID completely scrambled the contours of the debate over arcane mask laws.” New York previously banned public mask-wearing by groups …

Gov. Hochul considering a face mask ban on New York City subways, citing antisemitic acts
6 months, 1 week ago

Gov. Hochul considering a face mask ban on New York City subways, citing antisemitic acts

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that she is considering a ban on face masks in the New York City subway system due to concerns about people shielding their identities while committing antisemitic acts. On one train, a man who was not wearing a mask led a small group in chanting “Raise your hands if you’re a Zionist” …

Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor’s ban on school mask mandates
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor’s ban on school mask mandates

Associated Press  

DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal court on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge to Iowa Gov. The ruling marks the conclusion of the yearslong court battle, originating in the fall of 2021 with a lawsuit alleging that Reynolds violated federal disability law by preventing schools from adopting mask mandates as an accommodation for students with disabilities. Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU …

There’s no sign of widespread COVID-19 mandates in the US. Republicans are warning of them anyway
1 year, 3 months ago

There’s no sign of widespread COVID-19 mandates in the US. Republicans are warning of them anyway

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. “No COVID-19 public health restrictions or mask requirements are being considered by the Murphy administration,” said Christi Peace, spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. Kathy Hochul was asked during a news conference Wednesday about whether she would consider mask or vaccine mandates: “We are in a place where we’re seeing low …

New York drops mask requirement on public transportation
2 years, 3 months ago

New York drops mask requirement on public transportation

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — New York state is dropping its mask requirement on public transportation thanks in part to the availability of new booster shots targeting the most common strain of COVID-19, Gov. Masks will be encouraged but not required on buses and trains including the New York City subway system, Hochul said. “Basically, we’re going from mandatory to optional.” Face …

2 more bills targeting COVID rules head to Ducey’s desk
2 years, 7 months ago

2 more bills targeting COVID rules head to Ducey’s desk

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Two more bills restricting responses to the coronavirus pandemic are heading to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk, including one that would impact the ability of future state leaders to respond to another airborne-spreading disease and a second blocking the state from ever requiring schoolchildren to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Senators also approved a bill barring the state Health …

There’s a lot at stake for the CDC in the mask mandate appeal
2 years, 7 months ago

There’s a lot at stake for the CDC in the mask mandate appeal

LA Times  

A passenger wears a mask aboard a Delta Air Lines flight. The appeal could set the parameters for the CDC’s authority in the next outbreak, and public health experts fear the lower court’s decision effectively closes “off future actions for a disease like this one,” said Erin Fuse Brown, director of the Center for Law, Health and Society at Georgia …

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved
2 years, 7 months ago

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved

LA Times  

The CDC urges people to mask up in indoor public places where cases are rising, but few local jurisdictions are bringing back requirements. In New York City, cases are again rising and this week crossed the city’s threshold for “medium risk” due to the widening spread of the Omicron subvariant knowns as BA.2. “I don’t anticipate many places, if any, …

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved
2 years, 7 months ago

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — An increase in COVID-19 infections around the U.S. has sent more cities into new high-risk categories that are supposed to trigger indoor mask wearing, but much of the country is stopping short of bringing back restrictions amid deep pandemic fatigue. In New York City, cases are again rising and this week crossed the city’s threshold for “medium …

CDC restates recommendation for masks on planes, trains despite court ruling
2 years, 7 months ago

CDC restates recommendation for masks on planes, trains despite court ruling

LA Times  

The Transportation Security Agency enforced a mask mandate for passengers and workers for months, until a federal judge in Florida struck down the rule last month. U.S. health officials on Tuesday restated their recommendation that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate on public transportation. Americans …

Mask mandates return to US college campuses as cases rise
2 years, 8 months ago

Mask mandates return to US college campuses as cases rise

Associated Press  

The final weeks of the college school year have been disrupted yet again by COVID-19 as universities bring back mask mandates, switch to online classes and scale back large gatherings in response to upticks in coronavirus infections. But several Northeast cities have seen a rise in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, as the BA.2 subvariant of the omicron variant …

Mask mandates return to U.S. college campuses as cases rise
2 years, 8 months ago

Mask mandates return to U.S. college campuses as cases rise

LA Times  

Signs indicating that protective face masks must be worn in classrooms are displayed outside lecture halls at Columbia University in New York. But several Northeast cities have seen a rise in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, as the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron variant continues to rapidly spread throughout the U.S. “As much as we would like to move …

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
2 years, 8 months ago

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said. The CDC said in a statement that it is its “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the …

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
2 years, 8 months ago

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday. The CDC said in a statement Wednesday that it is its “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary …

EXPLAINED: What Happens in the Post-Mask World of Travel?
2 years, 8 months ago

EXPLAINED: What Happens in the Post-Mask World of Travel?

News 18  

A ruling by a US federal judge has ended — at least for now — the requirement that people wear masks on planes and public transportation, and there is plenty of confusion about the new, post-mask world of travel. In a 59-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, Florida, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and …

Canada to Keep Mask Mandate After Judge Strikes Down US Rule
2 years, 8 months ago

Canada to Keep Mask Mandate After Judge Strikes Down US Rule

News 18  

Canada’s government said on Tuesday it has no plans to stop requiring masks on planes after a Florida judge struck down a U.S. version of the law. ”We are taking a layered approach to keeping travelers safe, and masks remain an incredibly useful tool in our arsenal against COVID-19,” a spokesperson for Canada’s Transport Minister wrote in an email. The …

Justice Department to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
2 years, 8 months ago

Justice Department to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate

LA Times  

Travelers enter a security line at Rhode Island T.F. The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday. The CDC said in a statement Wednesday that it is the agency’s “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring …

Feds will appeal mask ruling only if mandate still needed
2 years, 8 months ago

Feds will appeal mask ruling only if mandate still needed

Associated Press  

The Justice Department said Tuesday it will not appeal a federal district judge’s ruling that ended the nation’s federal mask mandate on public transit unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the requirement is still necessary. In a statement released a day after a Florida judge ended the sweeping mandate, which required face coverings on planes and trains …

Pilots announce mask mandate has been dropped mid-flight in US, angering passengers
2 years, 8 months ago

Pilots announce mask mandate has been dropped mid-flight in US, angering passengers

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Plane passengers in the US are reporting that some pilots announced the country’s federal mask mandate …

Florida judge voids US mask mandate for planes, other travel
2 years, 8 months ago

Florida judge voids US mask mandate for planes, other travel

Associated Press  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit Monday, and airlines and airports swiftly began repealing their requirements that passengers wear face coverings. “So thank you and happy unmasking day!” New York City’s public transit system planned to keep its mask requirement in place. The White House said …

Covid-19: No masks required on planes and trains, rules US federal judge
2 years, 8 months ago

Covid-19: No masks required on planes and trains, rules US federal judge

Hindustan Times  

The US Transportation Security Administration will stop requiring passengers on airplanes, trains and other public transportation to wear masks, after a federal judge struck down the mandate earlier Monday. “Today’s court decision means CDC’s public transportation masking order is not in effect at this time,” an administration official said in a statement. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the …

Feds will appeal mask ruling only if mandate still needed
2 years, 8 months ago

Feds will appeal mask ruling only if mandate still needed

LA Times  

The Justice Department said Tuesday it will not appeal a federal district judge’s ruling that ended the nation’s mask mandate on public transit unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the requirement is still necessary. In a statement released a day after a Florida judge ended the sweeping mandate, which required face coverings on planes and trains and …

Florida judge voids U.S. mask mandate for planes, other travel
2 years, 8 months ago

Florida judge voids U.S. mask mandate for planes, other travel

LA Times  

A federal judge in Florida on Monday voided the national mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The White House said the court ruling means that for now the mask order “is not in effect at this time.” The ruling appeared to free operators …

US judge overturns mandatory mask mandate on planes, trains
2 years, 8 months ago

US judge overturns mandatory mask mandate on planes, trains

Al Jazeera  

A federal judge in the US state of Florida has ruled a United States government order requiring people to wear masks on public transportation is unlawful, overturning a Biden administration effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Last week, US health officials had extended by 15 days the mandate requiring travellers to wear masks on airplanes, trains, and in taxis, …

Philadelphia to restore indoor mask mandate as cases rise
2 years, 8 months ago

Philadelphia to restore indoor mask mandate as cases rise

Associated Press  

Philadelphia became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate on Monday after reporting a sharp increase in coronavirus infections, with the city’s top health official saying she wanted to forestall a potential new wave driven by an omicron subvariant. PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said Friday that while it expects some increased transmission in the …

Big Cities Lift Covid Curbs, But Doctors Divided Over Mask Mandate, And Can It Prevent Next Wave?
2 years, 8 months ago

Big Cities Lift Covid Curbs, But Doctors Divided Over Mask Mandate, And Can It Prevent Next Wave?

News 18  

Even as Maharashtra and Delhi have made masks optional, the doctor community is divided over the new move, and some believe that masks should still be mandatory despite India seeing a big drop in Covid cases. Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of Indian Medical Association ’s national Covid task force, said, “It is dangerous if more states make wearing masks optional. …

NYC may lift rules requiring face masks for children under 5
2 years, 9 months ago

NYC may lift rules requiring face masks for children under 5

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy New York City Mayor Eric …

Hawaii will drop its mask mandate this month, the last state in the nation to do so
2 years, 9 months ago

Hawaii will drop its mask mandate this month, the last state in the nation to do so

CNN  

CNN — Hawaii’s mask mandate will expire March 25, Gov. “It’s taken the entire community to get to this point – with lowered case counts and hospitalizations,” Ige said in a tweet. He added in another tweet: “If we see another surge, we will be ready to reinstitute the mask policy, if needed.” The mandate will come to an end …

NYC sheds vaccination mandate, school masks precautions
2 years, 9 months ago

NYC sheds vaccination mandate, school masks precautions

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — New York City shed major COVID-19 precautions on Monday as masks became optional in city schools and restaurants and cultural attractions could stop asking patrons for proof of vaccination. Let’s enjoy our city,” Mayor Eric Adams said after visiting several restaurants in Manhattan’s East Village. The Democratic mayor urged New Yorkers to “enjoy the city and spend …

Chicago Public Schools drop mask requirement in classrooms
2 years, 9 months ago

Chicago Public Schools drop mask requirement in classrooms

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools will stop requiring face masks for staff and students in the nation’s third-largest school district starting March 14, officials announced Monday. “CPS was one of the first to require universal masking in schools, and we would not be moving to a mask-optional model unless the data and our public health experts indicated that it is …

Masks optional in many New York schools after mandate ends
2 years, 9 months ago

Masks optional in many New York schools after mandate ends

Associated Press  

BUFFALO, N.Y. — School districts across New York state, including many of the largest, made mask wearing optional for students and staff beginning Wednesday as a statewide mandate came to an end. “I thought it was good because I could finally breathe better.” In New York City, which has the nation’s largest school district, an indoor mask mandate is expected …

Illinois COVID-19 mask mandate ending for most indoor spaces
2 years, 9 months ago

Illinois COVID-19 mask mandate ending for most indoor spaces

Associated Press  

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The need for face coverings in most indoor spaces in Illinois was ending Monday as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic eases. In the rest of Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said last week that the city would also lift its mask mandate Monday, along with a requirement that people show proof of vaccination at places such as …

Lamont: About 85% of Connecticut schools dropping mask rule
2 years, 9 months ago

Lamont: About 85% of Connecticut schools dropping mask rule

Associated Press  

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and the head of state’s association of school superintendents say about 85% to 90% of school districts across the state have elected to drop mandatory face mask wearing as of Monday, the day when local officials were allowed to decide whether to extend the state’s mask mandate. “I do have a mom …

Mask mandates are being ditched by more states and schools. But a decision on public transportation is still up in the air
2 years, 9 months ago

Mask mandates are being ditched by more states and schools. But a decision on public transportation is still up in the air

CNN  

CNN — Even some of the most ardent supporters of Covid-19 precautions are ditching mask mandates as health officials release new guidelines and hospitalizations plummet. Dr. Mark Ghaly, state Health and Human Services Agency secretary, said he’s “pleased with how the data has come down.” Los Angeles County is aligning itself with California’s new masking guidance by no longer requiring …

New York to lift statewide school mask mandate by March 2
2 years, 9 months ago

New York to lift statewide school mask mandate by March 2

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — New York’s statewide masking requirement in schools will be lifted by March 2, Gov. Hours later, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he’s considering lifting vaccine mandates on restaurants, bars and theaters by early next week if infections and hospitalizations continue their downward trend. A mask mandate on the city’s approximately 1 million schoolchildren could also …

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week
2 years, 9 months ago

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week

CNN  

CNN — New York will no longer require students to wear masks in schools beginning on Wednesday, Gov. Counties and cities that have a higher rate of Covid-19 transmission have the “flexibility” to keep the mask requirement in schools, Hochul said, and parents and guardians may still send their children to school in masks. “If we see no unforeseen spikes …

Chicago to follow state in lifting mask order by month’s end
2 years, 10 months ago

Chicago to follow state in lifting mask order by month’s end

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Chicago will follow the state in lifting face mask requirements for many indoor spaces next week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday. She said falling COVID-19 cases “continue to trend in the right direction.” Starting Feb. 28, Chicago will also stop requiring proof of vaccination for venues including restaurants. Chicago Public Schools leaders said Tuesday that the district would …

US covid restrictions: Boston and Hawaii join states and major cities lifting requirements
2 years, 10 months ago

US covid restrictions: Boston and Hawaii join states and major cities lifting requirements

CNN  

CNN — As the number of new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations slowly falls, cities and states are loosening vaccine and mask requirements. “As of today, our public health data show that Boston is officially below the 3 critical thresholds for heightened Covid protections, so we are lifting the proof of vaccination requirement,” Wu said in a tweet. Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, …

Washington state to lift indoor mask mandate March 21
2 years, 10 months ago

Washington state to lift indoor mask mandate March 21

Associated Press  

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s statewide indoor mask mandate, one of the few left in the country, will lift in most places on March 21, including at schools and child care facilities, Gov. Inslee said that the late March date to lift the mask mandate is based on hospital admission projections. “And when we make decisions, it seems to me we …

Companies revert to more normal operations as COVID wanes
2 years, 10 months ago

Companies revert to more normal operations as COVID wanes

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — For the first time in two years for many people, the American workplace is transforming into something that resembles pre-pandemic days. That’s a stark reversal from just weeks ago when the omicron variant of COVID-19 was peaking, prompting companies to double-down on mask requirements and enforce daily health screenings while delaying return-to-office plans for remote workers. Brian …

Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor, signs bill allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates
2 years, 10 months ago

Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor, signs bill allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates

CNN  

CNN — Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill Wednesday that allows parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates. Youngkin had campaigned on rolling back Virginia’s Covid-19 restrictions and giving parents more agency in their children’s education, but the order he signed on his first day in office was met with lawsuits from Virginia school districts …

Federal health officials say they will soon update COVID-19 masking guidance
2 years, 10 months ago

Federal health officials say they will soon update COVID-19 masking guidance

LA Times  

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, shown testifying before Congress in November, told reporters on Wednesday that her agency would soon issue new guidance on mask-wearing. Federal health officials said Wednesday that they will soon update their guidance on mask wearing, even as several states have recently dialed back mandates requiring people to wear face coverings while indoors. In a White …

California delays decision on lifting school mask mandate
2 years, 10 months ago

California delays decision on lifting school mask mandate

Associated Press  

Gavin Newsom delayed a closely watched decision on lifting California’s school mask mandate Monday, even as other Democratic governors around the country have dropped them in recent weeks. But the teachers’ stance was made clear minutes after Ghaly finished speaking, when the powerful California Teachers Association issued a statement praising the “cautious approach to masking.” “We know that masking, strong …

California to keep mask mandate in schools as indoor mandate ends
2 years, 10 months ago

California to keep mask mandate in schools as indoor mandate ends

CNN  

CNN — Just one day before California is set to relax a statewide mask mandate for vaccinated people in indoor public spaces, the state’s top health official announced that masks will still be required in schools. There will be no change to the school requirement, Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced at a press conference Monday. …

From New York to Nevada, how US is bidding farewell to COVID-19 restrictions
2 years, 10 months ago

From New York to Nevada, how US is bidding farewell to COVID-19 restrictions

Firstpost  

Seeing a drop in coronavirus infections and hospitalisations, several states, including Nevada, New York and Illinois have ended mask mandates for indoor settings Coronavirus restrictions are slowly being phased out of the United States of America. With the Omicron wave of COVID-19 subsiding, several US states, including Nevada, New York and Illinois have ended mask mandates this week for indoor …

COVID conflict: Democratic governors skip ahead of Biden and CDC on easing mask mandates
2 years, 10 months ago

COVID conflict: Democratic governors skip ahead of Biden and CDC on easing mask mandates

LA Times  

Kathy Hochul listens as President Biden speaks during a meeting with the National Governors Assn. “Governors are picking up on a sense that voters simply won’t tolerate mask mandates any longer,” said Julia Lynch, a political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania. The administration continues to recommend indoor masking in areas of high transmission, which, according to White House Press …

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US
2 years, 10 months ago

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US

Associated Press  

As the omicron wave of the coronavirus subsides, several U.S. states including Nevada, New York and Illinois ended mask mandates this week for indoor settings, while others lifted requirements at schools. Steve Sisolak said the requirement for masks in public places would be lifted “effective immediately.” State casino regulators quickly followed with an order eliminating the mandate for casinos “unless …

Discover Related