NY Schools Will Remain Mask-Optional In Fall, But Not Subways: Hochul

NEW YORK CITY — New York City's school children likely will return to mask-optional classrooms in the fall, but straphangers could have to wait longer, said Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Hochul gave a sweeping COVID-19 briefing Wednesday that outlined plans for the fall, a season that has typically seen surges in coronavirus cases as weather cools, New Yorkers go indoors and school years begin.

Declining coronavirus cases prompted Hochul in June to ease school masking rules statewide for first time in two years — a decision that Mayor Eric Adams quickly followed for the city's public schools.

And, despite a dramatic uptick in coronavirus cases driven by the new BA.5 variant, Hochul said the relaxed rules to stick as the next school year begins.

"We don't currently, based on today's numbers, anticipate the need for maks in classrooms," she said. "But I'm going to reserve the right to return to this policy if the numbers change, the circumstances change and the severity of the illness has changed."

MTA subway, bus and commuter riders, however, likely will have to continue masking, Hochul said.

The masking rule is important to give New Yorkers and others a sense of safety, so they return to public transit for work, she said.

Subway ridership over the past two years has consistently been lower than pre-pandemic levels. About 3 million weekday riders rode trains each day last week — or just shy of 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to MTA data.

"We are going to continue monitoring it, but the numbers would have to be lower than they are right now and consistently lower," Hochul said. "So, if we see a trend for the fall, if the trends defy history, I'd be very happy to know that and I'd be willing to make the changes at the time."

New York City's COVID-19 positivity stands at 14.5 percent, with a daily average of 4,380 new cases, according to city data.

Hochul said fall COVID-19 plans will include a "militaristic" level of preparation.

The state has 20 million at-home tests stockpiled that will be dedicated for students going back to school, she said.

“I know it’s only midsummer, but we have the luxury now of time to prepare for the inevitability, which is parents and teachers being anxious about going back to the classroom again,” she said.