New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that the state will drop its statewide school mask mandate, becoming the latest Democrat official to ease COVID-19-related rules. Hochul, who unveiled the development during a news conference, cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) having eased its masking recommendations in most public settings for the rule change, which goes into effect Wednesday. Child care centers also do not have to impose masking rules. However, she said that individual counties and municipalities can keep their own mandates intact. “Given the decline in our rates, our hospitalizations, strong vaccination rates, and the CDC guidance, we, friends, the day has come,” Hochul said. “Today we are going to be announcing that would be lifting the statewide mask requirement in schools, and that’ll be effective this Wednesday, March 2.” Hochul also said that New York is at its “lowest point of pediatric cases since …