New York Gov. Hochul announces the end of statewide school mask mandate on March 2.

• The statewide masking requirement in schools will be lifted by March 2, as announced by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday.
• The governor cited declining Covid-19 cases and CDC guidance as reasons for her decision.
• Starting Wednesday, children aged 2 and above in childcare facilities must follow new rules.

The statewide masking requirement in schools will be lifted by March 2, as announced by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday.

In a briefing in Albany, the Democrat mentioned the decrease in Covid-19 cases and the advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Parents could still choose to send their kids to school in masks, while counties and cities could keep their own mandates in place.

Effective Wednesday, new rules will apply to children aged 2 and above in childcare facilities. There are approximately 2.7 million schoolchildren in New York State, with around 1 million in New York City.

Hochul allowed a broad mask mandate for most indoor settings to expire earlier this month, but stated that the schools' requirement would remain in place. She pledged to reassess the schools' issue by the first week of March.

During the December Covid-19 surge caused by the omicron variant, a broad mask mandate was implemented.

Masks are still required in some places, including public transit.