New York is dropping its strict indoor mask mandate as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to fall across the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.

Hochul doesn’t plan to renew the health measure, which expires Thursday. It has required businesses to ensure customers were fully vaccinated or wear masks indoors at all times. It marks a turning point in the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as the prolonged safety protocols have left the public weary and provoked legal challenges and protests.

“Positivity rates down and hospitalizations are down, cases per 100,000 (people) are down and new admissions are down,” Hochul said at a news conference. “So New Yorkers, this is what we’ve been waiting for — tremendous progress after two long years.

“We’re not done. But this is trending in a very, very good direction, and that is why we are now approaching a new phase in this pandemic,” she said.

source cnbc.com