Heading to school Wednesday: Masks optional

BRIGHTON, N.Y. (WHEC) — The moment so many had been waiting for has finally come—the state school mask mandate is gone.

Across New York, students in school Wednesday, for the first time since the height of the pandemic, are not required to wear a mask.

The governor made that announcement on Sunday.

State guidance still calls for students, staff and teachers to wear masks for a certain time period when returning to school after testing positive. If a person is exposed to COVID, the state recommends getting tested, unless the exposed person had covid within the last three months.

News10NBC asked some Brighton parents their thoughts about the change. "I think it’s very exciting, I think we need signs of hope right now more than ever and I love that we are making progress in this pandemic. I think Brighton High School has done a really great job both following the mandates but also supporting individual decision-making," said April Luehmann.

Luehmann also told us even though masks are optional at this point, she’s proud her daughter will continue to wear one.

We also checked around with area colleges for their policies:

U of R
The school’s current face mask policies remain in place. All students, faculty, staff and visitors—including those who are fully vaccinated—must wear a face mask while indoors on any of the University’s campuses and properties.

St. John Fisher College
Masks will be optional throughout campus, including classrooms and laboratories, for those who are fully vaccinated. Masks will still be required in the Health and Wellness Center and on-campus shuttles.

RIT
RIT will assess the situation and make a decision on our masking requirements when students are back from spring break.

Roberts Wesleyan College
For the week of Feb. 28 through March 4, masks will continue to be required in the classrooms. Beginning March 7, masks in classrooms may be required at the discretion of faculty members. If a person feels safer with a mask indoors, they are welcome to wear one. However, masks are optional indoors for everyone on campus including employees, students, vendors, visitors, and volunteers.

Nazareth College
Masks are still recommended. For those fully vaccinated and boosted, masks are now required only in classrooms, large indoor gatherings and group meetings, clinics and health care settings and college vehicles.

SUNY Brockport
Masks will be optional on campus starting on Wednesday, March 2 for those who are fully vaccinated and boosted, except in situations where an instructor is requiring masks, indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people, healthcare settings, cases where masks are included in contractual conditions for hosting an event and on the "Eagle Run" campus shuttles.

SUNY Geneseo
Masks will be optional on campus starting Monday.