Quarter of NY counties refuse to ‘become mask police’ despite Hochul mandate
Since Hochul
announced her order on Friday, leaders in 13 Republican-controlled counties have publicly refused to force businesses that don’t require vaccination for admittance to make workers, customers and visitors wear masks.
The defiant counties — along with Nassau County, where incoming Republican County Executive-elect Bruce Blakeman has said he’ll defy the mandate — account for nearly one-quarter of all the state’s territories, not including the five boroughs of New York City.
In addition to Nassau, four other counties — Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess — are among the Big Apple’s suburbs.
Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said he opposed “using Gestapo tactics and going business to business and asking them if they are enforcing masking.”
“My health department has critical things to do that are more important than enforcing this and I think small businesses have been through enough already,” he said.