Parents rally to end indoor mask mandate on students

Dozens of parents rallied outside the Putnam Historic Courthouse Wednesday demanding New York make masks optional for students in school.

News 12 Staff

Jun 10, 2021, 10:08 AM

Updated 1,219 days ago

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As the state continues on the road to reopening, there is growing frustration among parents now demanding New York lift its indoor mask mandate on students.
Dozens of parents rallied outside the Putnam Historic Courthouse Wednesday demanding New York make masks optional for students in school.
The parents say they're worried the extremely hot weather New York has been experiencing will make it dangerous for the kids to wear masks in classrooms without air conditioning.
School districts were allowed to lift their outdoor mask mandates for students and staff this week. All Putnam County schools did, as did many others in the Hudson Valley, as well as make time for cooling breaks.
But when it comes to inside the classroom, CDC officials say wearing masks indoors is the safest option because kids under 12 aren't vaccine-eligible yet.
Not all parents agree. "We're not looking to ban masks. It should just be up to the parents if they want to put a mask on their child. We just want the choice," says Christopher Harrigan, of Mahopac.
Since there are only about two weeks left in this school year, state officials have already said they'd have to make up new guidelines. Since it doesn't look as though the CDC is changing recommendations, at this point the mask mandate will stay the same.