New CDC guidance won't end NY mask mandate yet, Cuomo says

David Robinson
New York State Team

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.

Governor Andrew Cuomo wears a mask prior to a COVID briefing in New York City on Oct. 18, 2020.

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.

Masks: New CDC guidelines say vaccinated Americans can now ditch the masks, with a few exceptions

What local leaders in NY say about CDC guidance

FILE - In this March 19, 2020 file photo, a commuter wears a face mask while using their smart phone while riding the subway in New York. New York's mass transit agency wants Apple to come up with a better way for iPhone users to unlock their phones without taking off their masks, as it seeks to guard against the spread of the coronavirus in buses and subways.  (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Meanwhile, several county executives and local health officials in New York urged Cuomo to adopt the new CDC guidelines.

"This is welcome news, and we know that many in our community are looking to shed their masks when it is safe and effective to do so," Monroe County Executive Adam Bello and Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza said in a joint statement.

"While the mandate was essential to slowing the spread of the virus and protecting our health and safety, we now have another, even more powerful tool," they added. "Vaccination works, and the CDC recognizes that. We believe New York State should as well.”

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro also called on Cuomo and the state Health Department to follow the CDC's recommendations for mask wearing.

"As we continue to see active cases, hospitalizations and deaths steadily dropping day by day, we have undeniable proof that the COVID-19 vaccine works," he said, noting more than 60% of Dutchess County residents have been vaccinated, and more continue to sign up for a vaccine every day.

Molinaro also called for lifting other restrictions based on the milestone move by the CDC to ease mask wearing restrictions.

“I urge New York State to follow the common-sense guidance of the professionals at the CDC who have helped keep us safe for the past 14 months and announce the full re-opening of schools and all restrictions on businesses be lifted,” Molinaro said in a statement.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the CDC guidance "a monumental day in the fight against COVID," and that the city was reviewing the guidance "because masks will still be important for schools, public transportation, healthcare and congregate settings and more."

But de Blasio added, "The message is clear: Vaccinations are the way to bring our city, our lives, back. Get vaccinated."

More:NY now releasing some COVID vaccine data by ZIP. Counties asked for it months ago.

More:SUNY, CUNY will require COVID-19 vaccine for all students in the fall. What to know

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

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David Robinson is the state health care reporter for the USA TODAY Network New York. He can be reached atdrobinson@gannett.com and followed on Twitter:@DrobinsonLoHud