The U.S. state of New York will remove the mask mandate for businesses as the Omicron infection rapidly recedes

New York Governor Kathy Hochul will lift the mask mandate for businesses that do not verify Covid-19 vaccination status, citing the state's high vaccination rates and low infection rates.

The rule, which Hochul implemented at a time when OMICRON triggered a surge in infections, will be lifted on Thursday. In schools, hospitals and nursing homes, mask mandates will remain the same, though Hochul said the likelihood of masks being removed in March was "high."

Local governments can continue to make their own regulations, including New York City, which has vaccination requirements for theaters, restaurants and other businesses. A spokesman for New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the city would continue to implement the requirements.

Rapid decline

The number of cases in the state fell rapidly, from more than 90,000 cases a day in early January to 4,281 on Tuesday. The average number of cases in the 7 days as of Tuesday was 6790, lower than the 7 days before Thanksgiving (before the discovery of the OMICRON strain in the United States). The positive detection rate over the past 7 days was 4.36%, slightly higher than the pre-Thanksgiving level, but significantly lower than the level that was always above 20% in early January.

A similar decline was observed in the number of hospitalizations in Covid-19. The state reported Tuesday that the number of hospitalized Covid patients was in their early 5,000s, less than half of the 12,671 at the peak of Omicron infections in January. The death toll has also begun to decrease.

The reduction in Covid-positive cases has prompted other states to begin easing restrictions. California will end the indoor mask mandate for people who have been vaccinated next week. High-risk areas such as hospitals will still require masks, and school charters are being evaluated.

This article originated from the financial world