The Governor announced the lifting of the statewide indoor business mask-or-vaccine requirement and that it will remain optional for businesses, local governments and counties to enforce. Mask requirements will remain in place in certain high-density settings. All health care settings regulated by the Department of Health and other related state agencies will continue to require masks. Masks will also be required in nursing homes, adult care facilities, correctional facilities, detention centers, homeless shelters, and domestic violence shelters, public transit and transportation hubs, as well as trains, planes and airports in accordance with federal regulations.

The Governor also announced plans to assess the mask requirement in schools after the February break. The assessment will be based on public health data, including key metrics like cases per 100,000 residents, hospital admission rates, vaccination rates, global trends and pediatric hospitalizations.

The Governor said:

Governor Issues Proclamation Calling for Special Election

The Governor issued a proclamation declaring that a special election to fill the vacancy in the 43rd Assembly District will be held on Tuesday, March 22nd. The special election will fill the vacancy created by Diana Richardson, who left the Assembly to serve as Deputy Brooklyn Borough President.

Governor Hochul said:

Adirondack Park Agency Appoints Executive Director

At the February 2022 Board meeting of the Adirondack Park Agency, the Board appointed Governor Hochul’s recommendation of Barbara Rice to serve as Executive Director. Ms. Rice will replace Terry Martino who will retire from the Agency after more than twelve years of dedicated service. Rice previously served as an APA Board Member from 2016 through 2018. She has a background in local government administration and community land use planning and development. Most recently she served in Governor Hochul’s Executive Chamber as Assistant Secretary for Economic Development.

Governor Hochul said:

Senate Confirms Governor’s Nominations

The State Senate confirmed a number of Governor Hochul’s nominations this week, including:

Janette Moy, Commissioner of the Office of General Services – Ms. Moy most recently served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Public Health Solutions, an organization committed to reducing health inequities across New York City. In this role, she oversaw PHS’ Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities and Real Estate Management, and Contracting and Management Services teams. Previously, Ms. Moy served as COO at the Office of the New York Attorney General, overseeing its business operations with a $225 million budget and 1,800 employees across 33 locations, and enterprise-wide modernization program.

Maria Imperial, Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights – Most recently, Ms. Imperial served as the CEO of the YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester, whose mission is eliminating racism and empowering women. Under Ms. Imperial’s leadership, the YWCA completed a $26 million green renovation of its Residence, a $4 million bond refinancing of its North St. Activity Center, re-aligned the organization’s programs to better reflect its mission, including the creation the Center for Racial Equity opening April 2021.

Rossana Rosado, Commissioner of the Department of Criminal Justice Services – Ms. Rosado served as New York’s 67^th Secretary of State. She led DOS through a modern restructuring, including the implementation of innovative local government and professional licensing programs. In 2017, Ms. Rosado implemented the County Wide Shared Services Initiative, which led to the submission of 34 specific county plans in its first year. In addition, through the Office for New Americans, she launched the Liberty Defense Project, a public-private initiative to bring critical legal services to immigrant New Yorkers. Prior to joining DOS, Ms. Rosado was a dominant force in New York media for 27 years.