NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that masks are still required on public transit, in airports and in certain other settings in the state.
The governor's announcement comes days after a federal judge in Florida voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation. Hochul addressed the judge's decision and said "Monday there was a legal ruling at the federal level, this was not a decision by the federal government that masks were no longer needed in very congested settings."
According to Hochul, masks will be required in the following settings:
- State-regulated health care settings
- State-regulated adult care facilities and nursing homes
- Correctional facilities
- Homeless shelters
- Domestic violence shelters
- Buses and bus stations, trains and train stations, subways and subway stations, and airports
Hochul continued on to say there are two COVID-19 variants causing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to increase in the state which is why the mask requirement will continue in those settings, at least in the short term.
On Tuesday, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority announced it was lifting the mask requirement on its bus and rail as well as at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Niagara Falls International Airport. It has now reversed that decision following the announcement from Hochul.
The NFTA released the following statement Wednesday:
First and foremost, we want to apologize for what is sure to be confusing to our travelers and riders, but due to the Governor's announcement updating COVID regulations from the New York State Department of Health, masks will still be required in all public transportation entities within the State of New York until further notice. This includes the Buffalo Niagara International and Niagara Falls International Airports, Metro Bus and Rail and all Paratransit services. We will provide any updates or changes to this policy accordingly.
