December 11, 2021

Governor Hochul announces "Indoor Mask Policy"

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement.

 

Her determination is based on the state's weekly seven-day case rate as well as increasing hospitalizations. The new business and venue requirements extend to both patrons and staff.  

 

This measure is effective Dec. 13, 2021 until Jan. 15, 2022, after which the state will re-evaluate based on current conditions. The new measure brings added layers of mitigation during the holidays when more time is spent indoors shopping, gathering, and visiting holiday-themed destinations.  

 

Businesses and venues who implement a proof of vaccination requirement can accept Excelsior Pass, Excelsior Pass Plus, SMART Health Cards issued outside of New York State, or a CDC Vaccination Card. In accordance with CDC's definition of fully vaccinated, full-course vaccination is defined as 14 days past an individual's last vaccination dose in their initial vaccine series (14 days past the second shot of a two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine; 14 days past the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine).

 

A violation of any provision of this measure is subject to all civil and criminal penalties, including a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation. Local health departments are being asked to enforce these requirements. 

 

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