Credit: Anthony Behar/Sipa USA
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Kathy Hochul became the first female governor of New York on Tuesday and in her first hours on the job sought to bring a new sense of urgency to immense problems that went unaddressed during Andrew Cuomo’s distracted final months in office.
Delivering my first address as Governor to the people of New York. Watch: https://t.co/U2iNYfCBKZ
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) August 24, 2021
In an afternoon address, she said she would make masks mandatory for anyone entering public schools and wanted to implement a requirement that all school staff either be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.
Getting children back to school safely is one of my highest priorities.
To that end, I am immediately directing the Department of Health to institute universal masking for anyone entering our schools.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) August 24, 2021
“None of us want a rerun of last year’s horrors with COVID-19,” Hochul said. “Therefore we will take proactive steps to prevent that from happening.”
She also pledged quick action to unstick an application bottleneck that has kept federal aid money from flowing to renters who suffered financially because of the pandemic.
Hochul, a Democrat and former member of Congress from western New York, took the oath of office just after midnight in a brief, private event overseen by the state’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore.
At a ceremonial swearing-in later Tuesday morning at the State Capitol, Hochul promised a “fresh, collaborative approach” in state government.
Join me live for my ceremonial swearing-in as 57th Governor of New York: https://t.co/aIxyaStBFS
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) August 24, 2021
“I want people to believe in their government again,” she said. “It’s important to me that people have faith.”
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