Gov. Hochul to allow COVID-19 emergency powers expire

Gov. Kathy Hochul says she will allow her COVID-19 emergency powers to expire at midnight.
The governor and her predecessor Gov. Andrew Cuomo renewed the emergency powers several times since the pandemic began.
During an event in the city Tuesday, Hochul said she was waiting until school started to see if there was a spike in case numbers but that she thinks it's safe to end the state of emergency.
Cuomo first declared a COVID-19 emergency in March 2020 when there were just 76 confirmed cases in New York. There have since been nearly 6 million positive tests in the state.
The governor said she can always reinstate the emergency order if need be and urged New Yorkers to get the new booster shot.