The robo-call came in on Sunday afternoon, while Beaconites were out doing things like going to Bounce! or grocery shopping, from Beacon’s Superintendent Landahl letting district families know that New York’s Governor Hochul had made her decision on the mask mandate. “After consulting with health and education experts, as well as parents, teachers and school administrators,” Governor Hochul explained that she was comfortable lifting the mask mandate for school children due to more New Yorkers getting vaccinated and a steady decline over the past several weeks in cases and hospitalizations from Omicron, on March 2nd.

Dr. Landahl robo-called to say that he agreed, and supported anyone’s decision to continue to wear a mask stating: “We also fully support staff or students who want to continue to wear masks. It has been a long 2 years for all of us and I want to take a moment to thank all of our staff for their tireless efforts over this difficult time. I want to thank our families for their incredible levels of patience and flexibility. Finally, I want to thank our students for their perseverance and leadership during this time.”

Some middle school students who prefer masks, voiced skepticism at the announcement. One student worried about their non-vaccinated friends. Another student made predictions about who would be taking their mask down right away, presumably based on what their parents wanted them to do, the student said. Both students expressed relief at being able to remove the mask when they wanted to, especially during gym class.

The Metrics Behind The Mandate Lift

Governor Hochul said that her decision “follows recent changes in metrics used by the CDC to determine risk and transmission levels in communities. Other mitigation measures should remain in place.”

“Among large states, New York has the highest rate of adults fully vaccinated for COVID-19,” Governor Hochul explained. “The highest rate of teenagers fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and the 2nd-highest rate of children ages 5-11 fully vaccinated. New York State has experienced a 98% decline in COVID-19 cases since the Omicron peak, and a continuous downward trend in cases for 51 consecutive days.”

Vaccination clinics continue to be hosted, and New York State established 261 vaccination sites for kids so far. Attention will need to continue to be paid to vaccination requirements as efficacy rates are measured over time. Long haul COVID-19 remains a factor, with unknown symptoms potentially lingering.

"With more New Yorkers getting vaccinated, and the steady decline over the past several weeks in cases and hospitalizations from Omicron, we are now entering a new phase of the pandemic. Because New Yorkers have stepped up, we can confidently remove the statewide mask requirement in our schools," Governor Hochul said. "This is a huge step forward for our kids and communities and I am grateful to the students, educators and parents for their dedication to keeping us all safe—we've reached this milestone because of your hard work."

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro issued a statement on Sunday in response to the mask mandate lift, saying: “We welcome the end to mask requirements for our children later this week – and will take no action to require them locally.”