Governor Kathy Hochul is as far left as they come, and is playing politics with kids’ lives. As I’ve wrote about previously, Hochul wants to continue to move the goal post on mask mandates in schools. At first it was February 1st, then it was moved to February 25th, and now it will be on a rolling two week assessment. Meanwhile, indoor businesses are arbitrarily getting preferential treatment, and their mandate will more than likely end on the 10th. The school mask mandate is never going to go away, because Hochul is now going to tie the school mask mandates to vaccination rates of school aged children. Children age 5-11 that pose an infinitesimal risk of infection or hospitalization. Hochul is going to keep masking kids that are not at risk while unmasking indoor patrons, that pose more of a risk of infection. It’s ass backwards and makes no sense. The mandates are arbitrary, unnecessary, and only prove that Hochul is playing a political game of chess, where our kids are the sacrificial pawns.
The Mask Mandate for Schools Isn’t Going Anywhere
On Friday, in a press conference in Kingston, NY, Hochul appeared to loosen her mask and vaccine mandate stance towards businesses, as numbers continued to plummet in New York. Covid positive cases plummeted to 4.4%, down from 23% early in January. Hospitalizations are down as well, even though there was a slight uptick in deaths, which usually lags behind the declining cases and hospitalizations. The mask mandate for schools, however, will more than likely remain in place, so long as vaccination rates for kids age 5-11 remain low. This new approach from Hochul and her administration, is just another weak attempt at trying to validate the need for masks in schools. The mask mandates for schools will probably end up getting appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, if Kathy Hochul and DA Letitia James have their way, which means no end in site for masked kids in school, as the appeals process produces delay after delay. Hochul is basically threatening parents with getting their kids vaccinated, in order for mask mandates to drop. Hochul insisted that little kids age 5-11, who are only 38% vaccinated in New York State, need to get fully vaccinated before there’s even a consideration of getting rid of mask mandates.
“We are getting there, but I would love to see that trend line of younger children more vaccinated as we start making decisions about schools, and that’s something we get asked a lot about, when are masks coming off in schools. I am also watching vaccination rates. The more children we have vaccinated, the safer they’ll be when they go to school. Ending the mandate is a goal we are striving for — but we’re just not there yet. Our focus is really to have your younger siblings do what you did, teenagers, and let’s get them vaccinated.”
Kathy Hochul is Taking Freedom of Choice Away From Parents
In other words, she’s giving parents an ultimatum, and in some cases, potentially forcing parents to get their kids a medical procedure, or face non stop mask mandates. Also, if Hochul’s going to require higher vaccination rates for kids age 5-11, in order to lift the school mask mandates, then why is she lifting it for indoor businesses? Kids age 5-11 surely go shopping with their families at indoor facilities, and their will not be a vaccine or mask mandate to shop, if the deadline holds. Does Covid draw the line at indoor facilities because Hochul deemed it so? It’s ludicrous and insane, and makes absolutely no logical sense. Kathy Hochul needs to leave the decision of masks and vaccines up to parents. Hochul is tyrannically invading freedom of choice in New York Sate, and it needs to stop. Hochul is not going to let Covid end, and will squeeze as much power out of it as she can. Remember…Hochul extended universal mail in balloting in New York State until the end if this year due to Covid and the Pandemic…why?
Related: Americans Have Had Enough
