New York Gov. threaten to close schools again if 'delta variable gets out of hand'

Cathy Hochhol

Incoming New York Gov. Cathy Hochhol will introduce mask mandate in classrooms and threaten to close schools again if 'delta variable gets out of hand'

Hochul takes office on August 23, replacing Andrew Cuomo, who lifted all COVID restrictions earlier this summer.

On Thursday, she said she would file a mask statement and speak with the health commissioner today.

It also hinted that it might close schools again if Delta gets out of control

"A decision may not be made now, and it may even continue in a couple of weeks because I don't know what the alternative will do or any new variables," she said.

Delta makes children sicker than previous variants, with a higher number of hospitalizations.

It's sending more adults to the hospital now than earlier this year but not as many as the first wave of infections last April.

Nearly 70% of New Yorkers over 18 have been vaccinated; 76% took their first dose.

Hochul was speaking on the Today Show Thursday morning when she was asked at the end of the interview if she would mandate masks in schools for children — a hotly debated rule across the country.

Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul will mandate masks in schools and close classrooms again if Delta gets out of control.

Hochul spoke on the Today Show Thursday morning when asked if she would mandate masks in schools for children -- a hotly debated rule across the country.

Hochul said she would impose masks because she believes it is the only way to ensure schools can open full time safely, and she wants to end distance learning.

However, she couldn't promise that they would be open forever and said she might make decisions now that "won't hold up in a couple of weeks."

And it raises the question of whether he will also close businesses across the state, as his predecessor did last year before he finally lifted all restrictions in the summer as more adults get COVID-19 vaccines.

I think there will eventually be mask mandates. I don't have the strength now, and I think that's going to be the way we should go to create an environment to get the kids back to school, and that's going to be my number one priority: the kids have to go back to school.

"We can't continue in this hybrid mode, working from home, any longer."

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