BEING TOLD 900 TIMES TONIGHT ONCE FOR EVERY 1000 DEATHS AND AS THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL IS SET TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON WEDNESDAY ON THE FUTURE OF NEW YORK'S MASK MANDATE. MEANTIME, THERE'S A GROWING LOCAL CALL TO UNMASK CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS HERE AND ACROSS THE STATE AS NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE, BOTH JUST ANNOUNCED AND TO THEIR UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MASK MANDATES HERE IN WESTERN NEW YORK SUPERINTENDENTS IN ERIE AND NIAGARA ORLEANS AND GENESEE COUNTIES. I'VE BEEN CALLING ON THE GOVERNOR TO PROVIDE AN OFF RAMP AND PROVIDE A TIMELINE FOR ENDING MASKING IN SCHOOLS. WELL, HOCHUL HAS ALREADY SAID IN ORDER TO NIX MASKS IN SCHOOL, SHE WANTS TO SEE VACCINATION RATES IMPROVE AMONG SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. A QUICK LOOK AT THE NUMBERS SHOW THAT 76% OF 12 TO 17 YEAR-OLDS HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST THEIR FIRST DOSE OF THE VACCINE. THE GOVERNOR IS ENCOURAGING PARENTS TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN GET THAT SECOND DOSE AND BOOSTER. IF YOU LOOK AT THE MASK POLICIES AT SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING STATES, PENNSYLVANIA IS ALREADY LETTING INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND FORCE THEIR OWN POLICIES AS WE JUST MENTIONED, GOVERNORS IN BOTH DELAWARE AND NEW JERSEY HAVE JUST ANNOUNCED PLANS TO ROLL BACK THEIR SCHOOL MASK MANDATES NEXT MONTH. AND TONIGHT AS LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS PUSH FORWARD AND TO MASKS. SO THE NEW SENIOR REPORTER EILEEN BUCKLEY SAYS SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS, ASKING POWER, BE RESTORED TO DISTRICTS TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.AFTER 23 MONTHS OF A PANDEMIC. I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO RETURNING THE SCHOOL EXPERIENCETO NORMAL. >> CHOICE ABOUT MASKS. TENDERED SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL CORNELL IS PRESIDENT OF THE AREA NAGRA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION. THE ASSOCIATION ISSUED THIS LETTER LAST WEEK SIGNED BY 38 SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERS ASKING GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL FOR A TIMELINE ON ENDING MASKING IN SCHOOLS WHEN THE STATE MANDATE EXPIRES FEBRUARY. 21ST, WE HAVE VERY, VERY LITTLE SPREAD OF COVID. IN FACT, IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS, EVEN WHEN A CHILD HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY WHO'S INFECTED WITH COVID, IT ALMOST NEVER RESULT IN AN INFECTION. SCHOOL LEADERS SAY THEY WANT GOVERNOR HOCHUL TO PROVIDE AN OFF-RAMP. SO STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND STAFFERS CAN PREPARE FOR WHEN SCHOOLS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE ABOUT MASK USE IN SCHOOLS. BUT THE GOVERNOR SAID ON LESS MORE SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN ARE VACCINATED. MASKS WON'T BE REMOVED. HOCHUL SAYS SHE WANTS THE VACCINATION RATE AMONG 5 TO 11 YEAR-OLD MUCH HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT 34%. AND THE ONE THING I'M ASKING ALL PARENTS TO DO. >> AND THE PEDIATRICIANS WHO ADVISED HIM. LET'S GET MORE CHILDREN VACCINATED. SO THEY HAVE THAT SUIT OF ARMOR. THEY NEED TO BE PROTECTED IFWE HAD VERY HIGH VACCINATION RATES AND OUR STUDENTS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET RID OF MASKS MUCH SOONER. INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT UBS JACOBS, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, DOCTOR THOMAS RUSSO. >> SAYS HE AGREES WITH THE GOVERNOR. DOCTOR RUSSO SAYS WE ARE NOT QUITE READY TO REMOVE MASKS FROM SCHOOL CHILDREN GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COVID CASES THIS HIGH COMMUNITY BURDEN OF DISEASE AT THIS POINT, I THINK WE WANT TO CARRY ON WITH MASK USE UNTIL WE GET THOSE CASE NUMBERS DOWN TO A MUCH LEVEL. WHAT WOULD A BENCHMARK FOR MATRIX BE FOR THIS? I THINK IT'S SOME COMBINATION A LOW COMMUNITY BURDEN DISEASE. >> AS DEFINED BY THE CDC COMBINED WITH A HOSPITALIZATION NUMBERS BEING IN A VERY MANAGEABLE LEVEL AS WELL. >> SUPERINTENDENT CORNELL SAYS DEMANDING HIGHER VACCINATION RATES AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN COULD BACKFIRE. I THINK IT'S A TRICKY METRIC BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY FEEL THAT TYING IT TO CLOSE VACCINATION RATE IS COERCIVE. CORNELL TELLS ME HE DOES NOT BELIEVE TRYING TO REACH HIGH VACCINATION RATES AMONG SCHOOL AGE KIDS IN ORDER TO REMOVE MASKS