According to media reports, the governors of New York and Illinois will announce the end of or a plan to roll back certain Covid-19 mitigation requirements involving masks on Wednesday.
Three people briefed on the decision told The New York Times that New York Governor Kathy Hochul will end the state’s strict business regulations on Wednesday.
Customers must provide evidence of vaccination or wear masks indoors, except while eating or drinking, according to the regulation. Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois is expected to reveal a plan on Wednesday to abolish the state’s indoor mask mandate in most public places, while his administration aims to preserve mask restrictions in schools, according to News affiliate WLS, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times. News has reached out to both Democratic governors’ offices for comment on their plans.
The reports come as the Omicron wave that swept the United States in recent months has begun to subside, prompting many state officials to scale back Covid-19 mitigation efforts.
Hochul said Tuesday in New York that she expected to make an announcement on business mask mandates on Wednesday, one day before they were slated to expire across the state.
The Omicron variety
The Omicron variety produced a huge spike in Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities, therefore Hochul announced the mask-or-vaccine rule for all indoor companies in December 2021. The recent surge in new instances peaked roughly a month ago and has subsequently subsided. “When we initially recognized the early indicators that this Omicron may be enormously contagious,” she added, the vaccine or mask requirement for enterprises was put in place.
“It was clearly the case, and as a result, we put some safeguards in place to benefit our workplaces, workers, and consumers,” she added.
Pritzker has hinted at revisions to the rules on wearing masks indoors
Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, has hinted at modifications to his state’s indoor mask legislation in recent days.
“I believe I have stated in the previous several news conferences that I feel we should really consider how to ratchet it back. I believe we will be making announcements about that very soon “In response to reporters’ questions on the mandate, Pritzker said at a separate press conference on Tuesday.
