NEW YORK — There are new developments surrounding the mask mandate debate in New York.
On Monday, the stay was granted by the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division, 2nd Department, to keep Governor Kathy Hochul's order in place.
This decision comes after last week's ruling to temporarily restore the mandate, while the appeal played out in court.
Governor Hochul released this statement Monday:
"I commend the Appellate Division, Second Department for granting a full stay to keep our masking regulations in place for the duration of our appeal. My primary responsibility as Governor is to keep New Yorkers safe. Mask regulations keep our schools and businesses safe and open, protect vulnerable New Yorkers, and are critical tools as we work to get through this winter surge. Thanks to our efforts, including mask regulations, cases are declining and we are seeing major progress in the fight against COVID-19. I thank the Attorney General and her team for their defense of these common-sense measures, and I am confident we will continue to prevail. We are committed to doing everything in our power to keep New Yorkers safe."
On Friday Gov. Hochul recently extended the mask mandate until February 10.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also released a statement Monday night after her office's motion to keep the statewide mask mandate in effect during the appeal.
“We are pleased by the Appellate Division, Second Department’s decision today to preserve the statewide mask mandate pending the appeal. Wearing a mask saves lives. The mask mandate and today’s decision will help in our efforts to fight back this virus. My office will continue to use its full authority to keep New Yorkers safe.”
The mask mandate was set to expire Monday night.
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