Incoming New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday stopped short of ruling out statewide vaccination requirements, telling CNN’s “State of the Union” she will be “looking at the possibility of mandates.”
Hochul, when asked if she was open to a statewide policy similar to New York City requiring proof of vaccination for indoor activities, said she was “open to all options.”
“I’ll be looking at [the] possibility of mandates, but not saying they’re in or out, until I know all the facts,” Hochul said.
It is unclear whether Hochul, who will replace Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Aug. 24, would have the authority to issue such a mandate. The emergency powers the state legislature granted Cuomo in 2020 to make COVID-19-related directives have expired.
That question of authority could also hamper Hochul’s wish for children to wear masks in schools to stop the spread of the coronavirus, she acknowledged in a TV appearance Thursday. She said officials will leave the decision up to school districts for now while monitoring the situation, but she expects there to be school mask mandates in the future.
Hochul said she has been assembling a team of public health experts, and planned on speaking with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden.
“There’s a lot of anxiety out there,” Hochul said. “I’m going to be focused on a targeted approach within the communities where there is the greatest hesitancy. Some areas are very high, others are low … we’re going to get this right.”
Hochul said heading into the school year she wants to make sure teachers, administrators and students alike feel safe in the classroom.
“I want to just assure people that circumstances continue to change, and I don’t want to have a hard and fast rule from day one,” Hochul said.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
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