Long Island College Flip Flops Mask Mandate as CDC Urges Indoor Protection

A Long Island college worried about rising COVID-19 cases reinstalled an indoor campus mask mandate then reversed the policy hours later following intervention from county officials.

Nassau Community College leaders on Friday announced the return to indoor masking for all, regardless of vaccination status, citing an uptick in cases. But in a matter of hours, officials flipped that order and instead opted for a recommendation.

“The College recommends that all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask while indoors on campus. CDC states that wearing a mask can help prevent severe illnesses and reduce the spread of respiratory viruses including, the flu, RSV and COVID,” the NCC website read.

The sudden about-face followed meetings between the college president and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the latter explained in a statement.

“At this time we are monitoring the spike in COVID diagnoses and have importantly not seen a spike in hospitalizations,” Blakeman said. “As we have seen in the past, there is very little value in mandating masks to prevent the spread of COVID.”

State health department data shows Long Island has the highest numbers of new COVID infections over the past week, beating out all other regions including New York City. Nassau is one of nine counties in New York where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending indoor masking.

Here’s the latest on what New York is doing to help combat the rise of flu, RSV and COVID-19 cases. NBC New York’s Andrew Siff reports.

“After strong evidence-based discussions with the President of the College, they are withdrawing their premature decision to mandate masks,” Blakeman said.

As the pandemic nears its third anniversary in the coming months, mask mandates remain a hotly debated issue.

Since the statewide mandate for New York schools expired back in March, few have ventured beyond a recommendation when it comes to face coverings. Health officials at the state and federal level have instead encouraged “common sense” safety measures to protect yourselves and those nearby.