It looks like New York state is not ready to change its guidance on masking yet for grades K-12.
On Friday, NYS Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker released a letter he sent to the CDC, saying that the state would try and align its school and summer camp mask guidance, and that would mean that both indoors and outdoors, students, campers and staff who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks.
Zucker had written that New York will move forward with the plan unless the CDC provides data or science that “contradicts” that change before Monday.
On Sunday, the NYS Education Department sent a note to school district officials saying that the intent of Zucker’s letter was to obtain a response from the CDC regarding the different standards for summer camps and schools, but the State Education Department wrote, “it has not changed any existing arrangements,” and therefore, schools should continue to operate under existing procedures until further notice.
State education officials say that no changes will be made by state officials until after Monday, June 7, to give the CDC an opportunity to respond to the letter from the state’s health commissioner.
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