Gov. Hochul knew very well that her mask mandate was illegal because rule by fiat had ended in March 2021 when NY legislature ended governor’s ability to issue “emergency orders”

Judge “Rademaker’s ruling came from a lawsuit brought by a group of parents.”….“In March 2021, New York’s state legislature passed a bill limiting the governor’s ability to issue emergency orders.”…Gov. Hochul’s “temporary” mandate was to expire on Jan. 15, 2022, but she extended it another two weeks.

[Graph: Jan. 1-Jan. 9, 2022, Gov. Hochul’s Covid “variant surge” only lasted a week in NY City, per NY State Gov. Hochul’s office, 1/11/22]

1/25/22, “New York state supreme court judge strikes down mask mandate,” CNN, Artemis Moshtaghian

“A state supreme court judge struck down New York state’s mask mandate Monday, ruling that the governor and NY State Department of Health did not have the authority to enact such a mandate without approval from the State Legislature.

In an opinion released Monday, Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Thomas Rademaker argued that because New York was no longer under a state of emergency at the time the mask mandate was announced, the governor and health commissioner did not have the additional authority to order such a mandate, adding the mandate is now unenforceable.

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In March 2021, New York’s state legislature passed a bill limiting the governor’s ability to issue emergency orders. [Hochul took office on August 24, 2021].

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In December [2021],...New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a temporary mask mandate that required New Yorkers to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces unless businesses implement a vaccine requirement. State health commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett issued a determination solidifying the requirement.

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Despite criticisms of the move from some local officials, the measure was extended another two weeks past the initial end date of January 15. Anyone who violated the mask mandate faced fines of up to $1,000 and was subject to all civil and criminal penalties….

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[Judge] Rademaker wrote…”Should the State Legislature, representative of and voted into office by the citizens of New York, after publicly informed debate, decide to enact laws requiring face coverings in schools and other public places then the Commissioner would likely be well grounded in properly promulgated and enacted rules to supplement such laws.”

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Hochul said she was working to reverse the decision immediately.

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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who took office earlier this month, signed an executive order allowing school boards in the densely populated Long Island county to determine if school children should be required to wear masks.

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“This is a major win for students & parents,” Blakeman said in a tweet responding to the ruling.

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CNN has reached out to the New York State Education Department for comment but has not heard back yet.”

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Added: Below chart, Jan. 1-Jan. 9, 2022, Covid “variant surge” lasted about a week. Total NY City Covid cases over 9 days per NY State Gov. Hochul’s office, 1/11/22:

Above chart, Jan. 1-Jan.9, 2022 from NY State Governor’s office..….1/11/22, “NYC COVID Cases Plateau As Omicron Surge Slows, Hochul Says," Patch.com, Matt Troutman, Upper East Side

““Looks like we might be cresting over that peak,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said about the state’s COVID-19 numbers.”

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Added: Below are confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths as of 1/13/22 for each of NY City’s 5 borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Total for all 5 boros also posted.

As of 1/13/22, “Trends and Totals,” New York City Board of Health

Map: 5 boroughs of New York City…

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Below, charts for Covid deaths in each of 5 NYC boros: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island as of 1/13/22:

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Above, Bronx deaths

Above, Brooklyn deaths

Above, Manhattan deaths

Above, Queens deaths

Above, Staten Island deaths

Above, NY City total, all 5 boroughs deaths

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Map: New York State and region, NY City is southeast tip. Long Island counties are horizontal strip.

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“This page includes data visualizations. To view data tables and data definitions, visit our Github repository. This page shows data on COVID-19 in NYC since the beginning of the pandemic....Click a button to view data on trends over time, or cumulative data.”

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Long-term Trends

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The data here show how COVID-19 has affected people in New York City since the city’s first confirmed case was diagnosed on February 29, 2020.

 

Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths…….

These charts shows the daily number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths by date that each occurred. You can also see monthly hospitalization and death rates by ZIP Code.

Due to delays in reporting, which can take as long as a week, recent data are incomplete.”

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