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New York State Health Department Issues Mask Mandate For All Schools

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The New York State Department of Health has filed an emergency regulation mandating masks inside all school buildings.

The order was filed Friday night.

All students, faculty and staff of public and private schools, pre-K through 12th grade, will be required to wear masks inside school buildings. Visitors will also be required to wear masks inside school buildings.

A letter from Health Commissioner Howard Zucker cites the increasing circulation and transmissibility of the Delta variant as a driving factor for the mandate.

Gov. Kathy Hochul called for a mask mandate for both public and private schools in her inaugural address Tuesday.

Some school districts had already announced mask mandates, including New York City schools and most of Long Island's 124 public school systems.

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