New York State's mask mandate for medical facilities has been officially lifted as of today.

This past Friday, health officials from New York State issued a new recommendation that lifts the mandate that masks be worn while in medical facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice centers.

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The CDC had recommended that masks should be optional for medical facilities back in September of 2022, and now as the state lifts its mask mandate, it is more in line with national guidelines.

With the state's mandate now lifted, it will be up to local governments and medical facility officials to create their own masking rules.

According to the New York Times, some places, like hospitals in New York City, will continue to require people to wear a mask while they are inside the facility.

Not everyone is happy with the lifting of the mask mandate in New York State.

A mask advocacy group on Twitter is asking for people to reach out to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and other health officials in the state to reinstate the mandate.


It will be almost three years since COVID-19 was first discovered in New York State. The first positive case of COVID-19 was reported on March 1st, 2020 in the state.

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