12 FEBRUARY 17, 2022 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
New York state’s mask mandate
for most indoor public settings
is coming to an end again, Governor
Kathy Hochul said last week,
as COVID-19 cases continue to drop
across the Empire State following that
sharp Omicron variant-fueled spike
during the holidays.
The same mandate for schools may
also go by the wayside following the
mid-winter recess toward the end
of the month, Hochul noted. That all
depends, of course, on the state of
COVID-19 in the Empire State by that
point.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention continues to recommend
that all Americans, regardless of
vaccine status, wear masks in indoor
settings for safety’s sake. At this point
in the pandemic, now approaching the
start of its third year, it’s wise to ask
whether a mask mandate should ever
be reinstated.
The good news, at this point, is that
we now have at our disposal medicine
that’s proven eff ective in combating
EDITORIAL
THE HOT TOPIC
STORY:
Queens native opens new sports bar
and restaurant in Forest Hills in time
for Super Bowl
SUMMARY:
On Feb. 11, Rego Park resident Manish
Chadha opened up Roam at 107-12
70th Rd. in Forest Hills. According to
the sports bar’s owner, Roam aims to
act as a “living room” for locals, complete
with live music, entertainment
and nightly specials.
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New York state’s mask mandate for most indoor public settings is coming to an end again, but New Yorkers
should continue to mask up as long as the CDC advises it. Photo via Getty Images
COVID-19. The vaccine has done wonders
in battling the diff erent variants
of COVID-19 and lessening infection
or preventing it altogether.
The arrival of effective new antiviral
COVID-19 medication from
Pfi zer and Merck also gives doctors
the power to treat someone at the
early onset of the virus and help them
avoid suff ering serious or even fatal
infections.
Mask usage, if you recall, came
about in the spring of 2020 as the nation
bore the deadly brunt of COVID-19.
At the time, not even the best
medical experts had an answer for
the virus; there was no proven eff ective
treatment, and no vaccine had yet
been developed. Doctors could treat
the symptoms for the most ill patients,
but had no way to actually wipe the
virus out.
But now, the miracles of modern
medicine and technology have given
us the tools that we need to stop COVID
19 from incurring the carnage we
experienced two years ago.
The Omicron outbreak proved that;
even as the virus spread like wildfi re
across New York and sickened tens of
thousands of people, neither hospitals
nor morgues became overcrowded —
because the vaccines and treatments
saved lives.
So should New Yorkers continue
to mask up? Yes, as long as the CDC
advises it. Yes, if it gives New Yorkers
a sense of comfort.
Hopefully, we’re past the period
when masks are a must. And the more
of us who trust the science, get the vaccine/
booster and accept treatment if
sick with COVID, the greater the
chances we can put the masks behind
us for good very soon.
Breathing
easier?
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