WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES MARCH 10, 2022 15
Queens parents, students and administrators off er mixed
reaction after NYC lifts mask mandate in public schools
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Queens residents are expressing
mixed reactions to the city
lift ing the controversial mask
mandate in public schools across the
city starting Monday, March 7.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams
announced the news to no longer
mandate mask wearing in NYC public
schools on Sunday, Feb. 27. Adams said
that since there has been a low level of
risk and no unforeseen spikes in the
past few weeks, he feels there is no
reason to continue requiring masks
in schools.
“Our schools have been among the
safest places for our children since
the beginning of the pandemic, and
we will continue to make the proper
public health decisions to keep our
kids safe, including making masks
available for any child or school staff
member who wishes to continue wearing
them,” Adams said.
This decision has resulted in a sigh
of relief for some and outrage among
others. One parent in Middle Village
who wished to remain anonymous
said that masks should have never
been mandatory in the fi rst place.
“Masks don’t provide enough
benefi t and only increased the levels
of anxiety due to social conformity,”
the parent said.
Sandy Jimenez, who has a 9-yearold
daughter at P.S. 199 Maurice A.
Fitzgerald in Sunnyside, said she is
extremely nervous about the safety
and health of her child.
“I support the mask mandate. It
keeps everybody safe,” Jimenez said.
“There are so many people together in
one place at the schools and you just
don’t know the other people and what
safety measures they are taking.”
Jimenez’s daughter, Emily, said that
she never likes to take off her mask in
public.
“Students in my class have gotten
coronavirus,” Emily said. “I had to get
tested so many times at home. I will
still wear a mask.”
Others feel that lift ing school mask
mandates is a step toward normalcy.
Governor Kathy Hochul ended the
mask mandate statewide on March 2,
aft er observing COVID-19 data trends
and consulting with health and education
experts.
“With more New Yorkers getting
vaccinated, and the steady decline
over the past several weeks in cases
and hospitalizations from omicron,
we are now entering a new phase of
the pandemic. Because New Yorkers
have stepped up, we can confi dently
remove the statewide mask requirement
in our schools,” Governor Hochul
said. “This is a huge step forward
New York City public schools students will no longer have to wear masks in school as of March 7.
Photo via Getty Images
for our kids and communities and
I am grateful to the students, educators
and parents for their dedication
to keeping us all safe — we’ve reached
this milestone because of your hard
work.”
New York currently has the highest
rate of adults fully vaccinated. In
New York City, about 86% of adults
are fully vaccinated, according to city
data. About 55% of children ages 5 to 17
are fully vaccinated. According to Hochul’s
offi ce, the state has experienced
a 98% decline in COVID-19 cases since
the omicron peak and a continuous
downtrend in cases for 51 straight
days.
Jesse Pachter, an assistant principal
and athletic director at Maspeth High
School, said he could not be more
excited to greet his students with a
visible smile Monday morning.
“I’m choosing to not wear a mask,”
Pachter said. “I think that walking into
school and seeing an administrator
smiling at you can start your day on a
good foot and some of these students
haven’t been able to see that their
entire high school experience.”
Pachter said he has gotten the sense
that many of his students and faculty
are excited to take their masks off
come Monday.
“I think they’re excited about getting
to see their friends and their teachers,”
Pachter said. “I think being able
to recognize facial expressions and
getting to hear teachers more clearly
is something that a lot of people are
looking forward to.”
Despite many students and staff
looking forward to returning to some
normalcy, Pachter understands why
some would still choose to keep their
masks on and respects everybody’s
decision.
One of his students, Veronica
Witkowski, a senior at Maspeth High
School, said that she will be keeping
her mask on due to apprehensions
and an immunocompromised family
member.
“Personally, I don’t mind wearing it,”
Witkowski said. “I would rather look
out for the health of my family and
others. Everyone wants to get back to
normal as soon as possible and so do I.
But I would prefer to take more steps
to be careful.”
Connie Altamirano, a community
advocate and member of the Community
Education Council 24, said that
as someone who is immunocompromised
and has a child with asthma,
she does not support lift ing the mask
mandate.
“I support the mask mandate to
protect our community and its most
vulnerable members,” Altamirano
said. “I know that my children will
choose to continue wearing their
masks. When my children feel ready
and comfortable enough to stop wearing
masks they will let me know and
I will support them in their decision.
However, I want to be clear that this
is a decision that each family should
have the right to make for themselves.”
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