At a press conference on Feb. 9, 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul discussed reviewing six key factors in March to determine whether to lift the mask mandate for New York State school districts: cases per 100,000; percent positivity; hospital admissions; pediatric hospital admissions; vaccination rates; and global trends.

In response, UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued the following statement:

We are all excited about the possibility of lifting these restrictions, but Governor Hochul’s thoughtful and prudent approach is the right one.