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Court keeps state mask mandate on, at least for now
Michelle Bocanegra and Shannon Young report for Politico that a New York Supreme Court judge reinstated, at least temporarily, New York's mask mandate Jan. 25, a day after a Nassau County Supreme Court judge said it was unconstitutional. The state mask mandate for indoor public settings expires Feb. 1, while the school mask mandate lasts through Feb. 21. "I commend the Attorney General for her defense of the health and safety of New Yorkers, and applaud the Appellate Division, Second Department for siding with common sense and granting an interim stay to keep the state's important masking regulations in place," Hochul said in a statement. "We will not stop fighting to protect New Yorkers, and we are confident we will continue to prevail." Nassau County State Supreme Court Judge Thomas Rademaker ruled on Jan. 24 that the governor and the department of health cannot impose a mask mandate, only the legislature can. Associate Justice Robert J. Miller let the mandate stay on Jan. 25, but ordered the state to show cause by Jan. 28. Read more about this story at Politico.