NY Rep. Garbarino, state legislators pen letter to Cuomo decrying 'unreasonable' mask suggestions for kids

Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., penned a letter along with seven state legislators to Gov. Andrew Cuomo calling for a "swift resolution" to "counter-intuitive" mask guidance for New York kids in child care and at summer camp.

In line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), New York State now strongly encourages but does not mandate that summer camps and childcare facilities require masks for children over 5 who have not been vaccinated. Children 2 to 5 do not need to wear a mask when on daycare or day camp property.  Children over 2 will still be required by the state to wear a mask during transit. Children 12 and over are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine.  Kids are allowed to remove their mask when they are outside and find it difficult to breathe due to physical activity.   "Countless studies have shown that children experience lower infection and transmission rates than adults," the letter reads. "If sound scientific data illustrating low transmission rates by children is not enough, numerous studies have shown that the transmission of COVID-19 in an outdoor setting is extremely low."