ALBANY, NY – On February 3, the Council wrote to New York State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett to reiterate a request we have made since before the school year began—that the state establish and publicize criteria it will apply in determining when it will rescind or modify mask requirements for schools.
Releasing the letter to the media a few days later, Council Executive Director Charles Dedrick noted, “In conversations with state officials going back to August, we have repeatedly urged that they take the step we have recommended in our letter—'to provide reasonable, understandable, and achievable metrics based on recommendations from medical professionals for when masking rules will eventually be changed.’” He added, “A theme we have repeatedly stressed to state officials is that thoughtful changes to their policies could help sustain public acceptance of whatever requirements that remain necessary or might become necessary as our circumstances change.”
You may read the Council's letter here.
Please write to advocacy@nyscoss.org with any questions or suggestions.