MASK BATTLE HITS LONG IS.
New Nassau exec: Don’t force ‘em on kids
A mask rebellion is brewing on Long Island.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman openly defied state COVID mandates Thursday by allowing schools to decide whether students need to wear masks in classrooms.
Blakeman, a Republican, signed an executive order giving Nassau school boards the ability to opt out of the statewide student mask mandate instituted by Gov. Hochul last year.
The order contends that masking children “may lead to negative health and societal ramifications” and goes on to state, without medical evidence, that forcing children to wear face coverings could cause health problems and inhibit breathing.
“School boards are composed of elected officials who make decisions based upon the unique circumstances of each district. They are in the best position to make these decisions, not an autocracy in Albany,” Blakeman said during a morning press conference.
Hochul approved an order that requires masks to be worn by everyone in schools regardless of vaccination status. A number of lawsuits seeking to overturn the mask requirement were unsuccessful.
A separate statewide mandate requiring masks at all businesses and offices was issued in December as the omicron variant emerged and COVID cases surged. The mask mandate was recently renewed through Feb. 1, but Hochul has said it’s up to individual counties to enforce the edict.
On Thursday, Hochul dismissed Blakeman’s attempt to defy commonsense health measures mid-pandemic, stating simply that “state laws prevail” before making a veiled threat about withholding education funds.
“There is also the issue of the state Education Department, which has direct control over funding of schools,” she said. “I hope I don’t need to say any more on that topic.”
Face coverings in classrooms became a point of contention nationwide late last year as opposition from parents and anti-maskers led to heated school board meetings across the U.S.
State Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa insisted that the school mask mandates are still in effect in Nassau, according to state public health laws.
“Counties do not have the legal authority to require boards of education to vote on specific issues,”
Rosa said. “School officers take an oath to obey all legal requirements. The state Education Department expects school boards will follow all legal requirements, including the face-covering regulation.”
Blakeman’s actions come during his first full week in office and follow earlier promises to push back against mask mandates and other measures.
A second order signed by Blakeman on Thursday gives county workers the option to wear a mask if they choose, indoors or out. The newly seated executive also said Nassau will not fine businesses that do not comply with the state’s mask rules.
He said the county is still taking the ongoing surge in COVID cases seriously and will be distributing KN95 masks to teachers, opening more vaccination sites and distributing testing kits to residents.
“We are taking a very aggressive approach of fighting COVID-19, but this aggressive approach must be bound by psychological and economic risks of every decision we make,” Blakeman said.
Nassau and state Democratic party leader Jay Jacobs slammed Blakeman’s defiance and said he was endangering “children, teachers and our population’s most vulnerable.”
“This politically motivated directive will make school closures more likely,” Jacobs said.