New York State Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate

For the last two months, customers and workers statewide have been required to cover their faces or show proof of COVID-19 vaccination in most indoor settings. But the statewide indoor business mask-or-vaccine requirement will be lifted starting Thursday. The move is not mandatory: It remains optional for businesses, local governments, and counties to enforce, state officials said in a news release.

"As we begin a new phase in our response to this pandemic, my top priority is making sure we keep New York safe, open, and moving forward," Governor Kathy Hochul said in the release. "I want to thank the health care workers, business owners, and everyday New Yorkers who acted responsibly during the omicron surge by masking up and getting vaccinated. But make no mistake: while we're moving in the right direction, this pandemic isn't over and our new Winter Toolkit shows us the path forward."

Masks will still be required in schools, which will send test kits home with students when they begin their upcoming break. The masking mandate for schools will be reassessed in early March.

New York's move to drop indoor mask mandates follows similar actions by a growing number of states, including California, which will ditch mask requirements for the vaccinated on Feb. 15.