NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that masking is now (effective immediately) optional in multiple previously required settings, including public transportation and airports, for-hire vehicles, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and detention centers. Masks will continue to be required at adult care and health care facilities regulated by the state Department of Health, and in clinical settings regulated by the Office of Mental Health, Office of Addiction Services and Supports, and Office for People With Developmental Disabilities.

This means NFTA employees are no longer required to wear masks within our transportation centers, bus and rail facilities/vehicles, and airports.

Governor Hochul also announced the availability of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster, designed to add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants and bolster previous vaccination protection. The announcement follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation to use updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for anyone age 12 or older and from Moderna for those 18 or older.

The Governor's announcement came shortly before getting her booster shot at the Boriken Neighborhood Health Center in East Harlem today. To schedule an appointment for the updated COVID-19 booster, residents of NYS should contact their regular health care provider, local pharmacy, or county health department. You can also visit vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations.

To view today's press release, please visit: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news

Originally posted Sept. 7, 2022