New York state's mask mandate will remain in effect as state health officials review new federal guidance to allow vaccinated people to ditch face coverings under most conditions, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said late Thursday.
The statement came shortly after the CDC on Thursday recommended fully vaccinated Americans can discard masks and the need for social distancing outdoors and in most indoors settings.
"In New York, we have always relied on the facts and the science to guide us throughout the worst of this pandemic and in our successful reopening," Cuomo said in a statement.
The governor's office is reviewing revised CDC guidance in consultation with state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker "and our partners and health experts in surrounding states," Cuomo added.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's administration issued similar comments Thursday, saying the state is reviewing the CDC rules before taking action to remove its mask mandate.
The new mask wearing guidelines announced by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, represented a major step toward a return to normalcy for a nation battered and at times divided by a pandemic that has lasted more than a year.
"Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,'' Walensky said.
"If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.''
A person is considered fully vaccinated against the coronavirus two weeks after getting the second Pfizer or Moderna shot or the same length of time after receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters but could ease restrictions for reopening workplaces and schools.
In addition, the agency will no longer recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds, possibly allowing for bigger capacities at sporting events.
New York was the first state to enact a mask mandate last year on April 15, which experts say proved crucial in turning the tide against the coronavirus during the initial surge.
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