Students in New York State can get ready to ditch their masks. The indoor mask mandate issued by the state will be ended effective Wednesday, Gov Kathy Hochul announced Sunday. She said some counties with higher transmission rates can make their own decisions, but there won’t be a mandate from the state. Gov. Hochul said parents can also keep masks on their kids if they want. Her announcement comes days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their mask guidelines. Hochul pointed to an ongoing drop in COVID cases and hospitalizations. As a precaution, New York will distribute more than 20 million COVID tests to school districts across the state, Hochul said. The new rules effective Wednesday apply to children 2 years and older in child care facilities.