New York breathes.
The state of New York will lift the obligation to wear a mask indoors on Thursday, in particular in shops, restaurants and businesses, announced this Wednesday the Democratic governor of the state, Kathy Hochul, at a time when the number of Covid-19 contamination is in free fall in the United States.
This obligation to wear a mask – which expires Thursday according to New York State legislation – will however remain in place in schools until March, while its application indoors may still be imposed by municipalities, including New York City, and businesses, said the governor.
California, New Jersey and Connecticut also lift the mask
While the state and the megalopolis of New York have been strongly affected by the pandemic – at least 38,000 deaths in two years for the megalopolis – Kathy Hochul welcomed health indicators all “down”.
“We are not finished but the trend is very, very well oriented and that is the reason why we are now considering a new phase of the pandemic”, she launched, while a little less than 250,000 cases per day are currently recorded in the United States, compared to 800,000 in mid-January.
The governor's decision comes amid easing restrictions in the United States.
Before New York, California, New Jersey and Connecticut also announced the lifting of the obligation to wear a mask indoors, whereas it has never been imposed in large states led by Republican governors such as Florida or Texas.