NEW YORK — New York Metropolis’s mask mandate for public school students under five is staying in place.
Monday was imagined to mark the tip of the mandate, but it surely’s getting an extension as a substitute.
“Case are positively rising,” New York Metropolis Well being Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan stated Friday.
The town’s well being commissioner stated Friday instances of the Omicron variant BA.2 are surging and anticipated to worsen within the subsequent few weeks. The newest Well being Division numbers present the seven day positivity price is as much as 2.67% — per week prior, it was 2.26%.
“That is why we’re recommending to attend just a little bit longer earlier than making masks non-obligatory for this age group,” Dr. Vasan stated.
A decide tried to overturn the mandate, which applies to high school and youngster care settings, however Mayor Eric Adams prevailed in court docket to maintain it in place.
Pediatrician Dyan Hes instructed CBS2 she disagrees with placing masks on youngsters at this stage of the pandemic.
“They’re the final ones to get hospitalized, or you understand, the numbers are method down. Even with instances going up in NY city, hospitalization charges and deaths down,” she stated.
Hes stated within the final week, her workplace has seen barely extra instances of the flu and abdomen bug, presumably as a result of authorities imposed masks and vaccine mandates have been lifted at locations like gyms, eating places and film theaters.
“That is life. I imply, folks forgot, you understand. We have seen extra ear infections within the final three months than we did in two years,” she stated.
In the meantime, the president’s Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci weighed in on sure adults getting a second booster shot.
“As a doctor, would suggest that if it is obtainable to them,” he told CBS2 in an interview Friday.
