ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — Erie County will be lifting its mask mandate effective Thursday, according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. The county executive made the announcement Wednesday on his official Facebook page after New York State announced that it would be lifting its mandate for indoor businesses.
While the county's mask mandate for public locations will be lifted, Poloncarz says masks must still be worn by all county employees and guests in county buildings. This requirement will remain in effect through February and will be reassessed at the end of the month, according to Poloncarz.
"We will review conditions then to determine whether this county building order can be lifted for March," Poloncarz said in the Facebook post.
Poloncarz previously announced that Erie County would follow New York State's lead about wearing masks in public facilities. The county executive said this decision was made as new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline.
New York State's mask mandate will officially be lifted on Thursday for indoor businesses. At this time, all health care settings that are regulated by the New York State Department of Health will continue to require masks. Masks will also be required in nursing homes, adult care facilities, correctional facilities, detention centers, homeless shelters, and domestic violence shelters, public transit and transportation hubs, as well as trains, planes and airports in accordance with federal regulations.
"As we begin a new phase in our response to this pandemic, my top priority is making sure we keep New York safe, open and moving forward," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "I want to thank the health care workers, business owners and everyday New Yorkers who acted responsibly during the Omicron surge by masking up and getting vaccinated. But make no mistake: while we're moving in the right direction, this pandemic isn't over and our new Winter Toolkit shows us the path forward."