Hochul should lift mask mandates for school children, or face more pushback

Posted 19 February 2022 at 8:20 am

Editor:

When will this craziness REALLY end? So, over a week ago Ms. Hochul announces an (overdue) end to the statewide indoor mask mandate. However this does not include certain facilities, most notably our schools.

So, are we supposed to be happy or satisfied with this? I am not! This situation has gone on long enough, is beyond being ridiculous and just needs to end.

Consider the following; we have vaccines available, a variety of treatment options/therapeutics available, including two new post-infection treatments that if given within a few days reduces hospitalizations by close to 90%. You add to this, the fact that schools and school sports settings have not been identified as major vectors for, or super-spreaders of Covid-19.

Did children get infected with this virus, yes. However, the chances of serious health impacts and death for basically healthy kids is statistically zero.

So why are kids still being forced to wear masks in school? Once they leave school buildings no kids or parents are required to wear them anywhere else as they go about their life and from my basic observation no one is or has for quite a while. I am asking why school superintendents, school boards, local elected officials, and most pointedly Ms. Hochul are keeping this policy in place?

Most recently Ms. Hochul stated that there is no “aha moment” that will happen where she will remove the school mask mandate and she will keep evaluating the data and vaccination rates. Is she serious with this, since when does one person have this kind of authority, this broadly, over all of New York State?

By the way a downstate judge said she didn’t have this authority, this was appealed, and where are the judgements on this? I believe it still sits with the NY Supreme Court Appellate Division and Justice Robert Miller.

I am anxiously awaiting his verdict. It is interesting that the US Supreme Court found it important enough to hear some pretty important similar cases and reach a verdict in an expeditious manner. Not sure what the holdup is on this?

With respect to Ms. Hochul’s approach on this issue, it seems to me like she is beholden to some other interest other than families and specifically the children of New York. I will leave it to everyone to figure out what that is on their own.

I want to applaud Senator Ortt, Assemblyman Hawley and all of the representatives who are involved in the “Take Back New York” campaign. Please keep pressing for all New Yorkers to get their freedoms back.

I would also like to applaud the numerous School Superintendents from Orleans and Genesee counties and surrounding areas who penned a letter to Ms. Hochul asking for an end to the mask mandates in schools.

My only criticism of this letter is that it didn’t finish with an “or else” clause, such as “rescind your school mask mandate OR ELSE we are ending it.” I am baffled why school administrations, politicians, other local leaders are still compliant with this craziness. There should be no requirements for Covid-19 vaccines for kids or masking mandates forced on our children, period. This nonsense needs to end now, not when Ms. Hochul feels like it. It is past time to pushback.

Brian Sorochty

Batavia