Gov. Kathy Hochul is monitoring the COVID-19 uptick in New York as the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.5 drives cases up across the state.

Hochul says she is planning to protect kids so they can stay in class but is not mandating masks at this time for when school resumes.

"Here's what we're proposing. We are now distributing as we speak over 3 million test kits to school districts to make sure that every student and member of their staff can test before the first day," says Hochul.

Hochul did say that she does have the right to change her position on masks if cases rise.

The governor says she is making sure New York state has a 60-day stockpile of masks and other personal protective equipment.

For some, another mask mandate is not something they would abide by.

"It's not going on our kids - no masks are going on our kids anymore," says Thomas Coffey, of Hicksville. "That's the end - we'll keep them home. A lot of parents feel like that too."

Others say if the number goes up and there is an aggressive variant than they would be OK with requiring masks again.