NY's mask mandate for public transit remains in place despite federal court ruling
One day after the Regional Transit Service (RTS) announced they would no longer require customers and employees to wear face masks, the transit authority reversed course.
“Following conversations yesterday with the office of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, it was made clear that the mask requirement on public transit in New York remains in effect for now, pursuant to a March 2, 2022, determination by the New York State Department of Health,” RTS officials said Wednesday morning in a news release.
More: Hochul: NY's mask mandate for public transit remains in place despite federal court ruling
So after a brief pause on the policy on Tuesday, masks are again required on all RTS buses and within all RTS facilities, effective immediately.
According to a news release from the company, RTS will continue making masks available at the company's facilities, including the RTS Transit Center. The new comes one day after the TSA announced that face masks are now optional at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport, as of Tuesday. Airline carriers, however, reserve the right to require masks aboard their planes, according to airport officials.
Monroe County averaging nearly 600 new COVID cases per day
On Monday afternoon, the Monroe County Department of Public Health reported another 31% spike in new COVID-19 cases in the county in the past week. In all, 4,173 new COVID-19 cases were reported since April 11, bumping the 7-day rolling average to 596 new cases per day. Both figures are twice as many as were reported two weeks earlier, on April 4
Also since last Monday, there has been a 10% increase in hospitalizations, however fewer of the people hospitalized remain in the intensive care unit, which is where the most serious cases are directed. The latest data shows 183 people hospitalized due to COVID-19, an increase from the 166 patients on April 11. Seventeen of the hospitalized patients are in the ICU, which is a 19% decrease over the April 11 data.
Six new deaths were reported in that same timeframe, bringing the total of COVID-19 related deaths to 1,829.
UR reinstates indoor masking due to COVID spike
University of Rochester officials last week announced that indoor masking has been reinstated on all UR campuses and properties.
The move, announced on Friday, is in response to the current spike in COVID-19 infections and applies to all students, staff, faculty and visitors, including those who are fully vaccinated, according to a news release from the university. UR officials said they hope by masking, it "will bring down the number of positive cases and prevent an unmanageable surge in infections."
The indoor mask mandate is in effect until further notice, UR officials said.
According to UR, face masks are required indoors at all university locations, including Eastman School of Music, the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and other properties. All medical center “tan” locations,” including the School of Nursing, School of Medicine and Dentistry and administrative areas like Corporate Woods and Rochester Tech Park, will also require masks.
Face masks will not be required at the Memorial Art Gallery.
"We know this isn’t welcome news, but we’re not alone: many of the University’s peer institutions in the northeast have reinstated their indoor masking requirements given the relatively high current COVID numbers, especially compared to other parts of the U.S.," the news release read.
Free disposable masks are available on campus.
As of Friday, Monroe County's 7-day-rolling average for new COVID-19 cases was 583, according to the Monroe County Department of Public Health.
Wayne County COVID risk level upgraded to high
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week elevated Wayne County's community risk level from low to high.
"The CDC's community risk level is a measure of the impact of COVID-19 illness on health and healthcare systems," said Diane Devlin, Wayne County Director of Public Health. "It is important we protect our most vulnerable at high levels of community transmission. Some people and communities, such as our oldest citizens, people who are immunocompromised and people with disabilities, are at a higher risk for serious illness to wear a mask in public places to reduce their risk of exposure and risk for serious illness from COVID-19."
Wayne County Public Health is asking everyone at high risk for serious illness to wear a mask in public places to reduce their risk of exposure and risk for serious illness from COVID-19. The county health department has also said the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 doubled over the last week, from 4 to 8 people.
COVID cases in New York
New coronavirus cases leaped in New York in the week ending Sunday, rising 12.7% as 36,180 cases were reported. The previous week had 32,114 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
New York ranked fourth among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 10% from the week before, with 225,931 cases reported. With 5.84% of the country's population, New York had 16.01% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 31 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
COVID cases in Rochester NY region
Monroe County reported 1,690 cases and three deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 1,436 cases and three deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 154,859 cases and 1,556 deaths.
Ontario County reported 238 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 193 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 20,361 cases and 176 deaths.
Wayne County reported 158 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 167 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 17,543 cases and 173 deaths.
Livingston County reported 82 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 91 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 11,778 cases and 115 deaths.
Orleans County reported 55 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 33 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 8,691 cases and 113 deaths.
Genesee County reported 64 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 55 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 13,761 cases and 185 deaths.
COVID outbreaks in New York
Within New York, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Oswego County with 400 cases per 100,000 per week; Onondaga County with 349; and Oneida County with 342. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were New York County, with 4,846 cases; Kings County, with 4,461 cases; and Nassau County, with 2,949. Weekly case counts rose in 42 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Kings, Erie and Suffolk counties.
New York ranked 6th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 89.9% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.3%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending Sunday, New York reported administering another 245,669 vaccine doses, including 28,283 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 228,560 vaccine doses, including 27,016 first doses. In all, New York reported it has administered 38,894,514 total doses.
Across New York, cases fell in 20 counties, with the best declines in Westchester County, with 1,754 cases from 1,895 a week earlier; in Oswego County, with 468 cases from 577; and in Cayuga County, with 185 cases from 265.
In New York, 59 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 61 people were reported dead.
A total of 5,074,112 people in New York have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 68,114 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 80,632,301 people have tested positive and 988,618 people have died.
New York's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, April 17.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 2,637
The week before that: 2,332
Four weeks ago: 1,974
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 38,545
The week before that: 37,371
Four weeks ago: 41,914
Hospitals in 22 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 15 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 32 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
Contributor: Mike Stucka, USA Today Network
Contact Victoria Freile at vfreile@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @vfreile and Instagram @vfreile. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY mask mandate for public transit remains in place
