Masks will continue to be required on buses, trains and other forms of public transportation in New York State “for now,” Gov. Kathy Hochul announced at a press conference in Syracuse Wednesday.
“Let’s just be smart about it,” Hochul said. “I think people do feel better when they’re in public transit, sitting really close to somebody, to know that people are protecting themselves.”
The statewide mandate comes just a day after a federal judge struck down a similar requirement from the Biden administration on Tuesday , according to The Wall Street Journal. The federal mask mandate, which required travelers to wear masks on trains, buses, airplanes and other forms of mass transit, had been in effect since Feb. 1.
Masks will be required on university buses and shuttles in accordance with Gov. Hochul and the CDC’s guidance, university spokesperson John DellaContrada said.
UB’s Health and Safety Committee was previously going to discuss the continuation of the mask mandate on university-operated public transportation, DellaContrada told The Spectrum Tuesday, a day before Gov. Hochul’s announcement.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which operates Buffalo’s metro line, the local bus system and other public transportation in Erie and Niagara counties, suspended its mask mandate Tuesday only to reinstate it Wednesday to comply with the governor’s order, according to The Buffalo News.
New York’s mask mandate will also extend to airports, state-regulated healthcare facilities, state-regulated nursing homes, houseless shelters, domestic violence shelters and correctional facilities.
UB has an estimated 101 cases of COVID-19 and a 2.11% positivity-rate based on a 14-day rolling average as of Friday, according to SUNY’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Grant Ashley is a senior news/features editor and can be reached at grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com
Grant Ashley is the editor in chief of The Spectrum. He's also reported for NPR, WBFO, WIVB and The Buffalo News. He enjoys taking long bike rides, baking with his parents’ ingredients and recreating Bob Ross paintings in crayon. He can be found on the platform formerly known as Twitter at @Grantrashley.
