Governor Hochul to Lower New York COVID Mandates and Expand on Monkeypox
As the start of the new school year looms, COVID mandates in schools are easing up. The school system is putting an end to PCR testing in schools and no longer requiring families to fill out daily health screening forms.
The changes to schools reflect the decisions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as they begin to phase into a new shift towards the adjustment of COVID in our daily lives. The CDC no longer recommends people stay six feet away from each other or that those who are exposed must quarantine at home. The state is ending its “test to stay” policy but It is still recommended that those who are exposed should continue to wear a mask for 10 days around others.
COVID cases in New York have dropped 34 percent since the early summer wave. Hospitalizations have also decreased 22 percent in the same time period. Some pediatricians are worried that relaxing COVID restrictions on schools could create another surge.
Mayor Adams supports Governor Hochul’s decision to roll back on COVID regulations “I think it’s a step in the right direction[…]we’re going to look at them and make a determination with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene what we’re going to do school by school to make sure our children are protected as best as possible.”
New York will be distributing COVID test kits to schools at the beginning of the academic school year. Schools can also still require COVID testing for close contact activities such as sports or choir groups.
“We’ll leave that up to individual schools to make that determination, but it is no longer recommended from the CDC or the Department of Health that there be this random screening either.” states Hochul.
Some of these changes have brought up concern due to the spread of monkeypox and polio occuring. The State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett encouraged New Yorkers to get vaccinated against polio if they have not been already. The first case was reported in the U.S in over a decade. The state has a 79% vaccination rate while the area it was reported in (Rockland County) has lower vaccination rates than the rest of the state.
Bassett also said that New York is changing its administration of monkey pox vaccines as cases are beginning to surge. The new method will lower the dosage in an effort to immunize more people. The state will release more data related to vaccination efforts against monkeypox.
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/nyregion/nyc-vaccine-mask-mandates.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/17/nyregion/ny-back-to-school-covid.html
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