On February 9, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the end of the indoor mask mandate in New York State, which is set to expire on Thursday, February 10. The state mandate had required masks to be worn inside businesses where vaccination status was not being checked.

“We saw it coming, it happened, we hit our peak on January 7, but now we’ve noticed a drop in cases,” Governor Hochul said. “That is exactly what we’ve been waiting for.”

The governor is leaving mask mandate decisions up to individual cities, institutions and businesses. As of February 9, New York City’s indoor mask mandate remains in effect. 

Gov. Hochul held a call with school superintendents across New York who believe an announcement regarding school-wide mask mandates is coming soon. The governor is expected to extend the school mask mandate past its February 21 expiration date, but has not announced any date-specific commitments. 

Editor’s note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.