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Erie County to lift mask mandate alongside NYS; will remain in place for all county-owned facilities

Virus Outbreak New York
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced the county will follow New York State's lead and lift its mask mandate for all public indoor settings Thursday.

The mask mandate went into place for all public indoor settings in Erie County on November 23, 2021 in response to rising COVID-19 numbers.

Statewide, the mask mandate went into place for all businesses and venues on December 13, 2021 in response to what the state called a "winter surge" in COVID-19 rates.

Wednesday, Governor Kathy Hochul cited several categories of COVID-19 data and announced the state will lift its mask mandate for businesses and venues as of Thursday.

Poloncarz said the county will follow the state's lead and lift its mask mandate for businesses and public locations effective Thursday, but the mandate will remain in place for all employees and guests at county-owned facilities through February. Conditions will then be reviewed to determine if the order for county-owned facilities can be lifted in March, according to the county executive.

You can read a full statement from Poloncarz below: