The Cayuga County Legislature voted to table a resolution asking the health department not to enforce Governor Kathy Hochul’s mask-or-vaccine mandate at their Tuesday, January 25 meeting.
The vote came down 14-1, with Andrew Dennison, who introduced the resolution, standing as the lone vote against the motion to table it, according to The Citizen.
The postponment came at the request of the Cayuga Board of Health, who cited the recent state Supreme Court ruling out of Nassau County saying mask mandate is unconstitutional.
RELATED: Cayuga County legislators ask health dept. not to enforce governor’s mask mandate
Hochul initially issued the mask-or-vaccine mandate for businesses and indoor public venues in December 2021 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. The directive was set to expire in January 2022, but has since been extended to February 1.
Cayuga County’s public health director Kathleen Cuddy says the health department has received complaints as a result of the directive, but the county has not issued consent orders or fines for non-compliance.
Cuddy says if there is a complaint, the department has a conversation with the business, offering masks and encouraging them to post signage asking patrons to wear a mask.
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