ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced that she was instituting a statewide mask mandate for all businesses and venues in her state, effective Dec. 13

Under Hochul's order, businesses that require proof of vaccination to enter are exempt from the mandate. The policy applies to anyone ages two years old and older, any time they are indoors at a business or venue.

The mandate will remain in effect until Jan. 15, when the state will re-evaluate the situation based on COVID-19 data.

"As Governor, my two top priorities are to protect the health of New Yorkers and to protect the health of our economy," Hochul said in a statement. "The temporary measures I am taking today will help accomplish this through the holiday season. We shouldn't have reached the point where we are confronted with a winter surge, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers' frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet."

Hochul also thanked the 80% of New Yorkers who are currently fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

"If others will follow suit, these measures will no longer be necessary," her statement read.

Hochul's office cited increases in both the seven-day average case rate (up 43%) and hospitalizations (up 29%) for the new policy.

The state's mask policies remain unchanged for schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes and health care settings.

This story was originally published by August Erbacher on Scripps station WKBW in Buffalo, New York.

ALBANY, N.Y. —

New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke Wednesday for the first time since Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation, promising a smooth transition as she prepares to assume the state's highest office.

In a televised address, the 62-year-old Democrat assured viewers that work of building a new administration had "already begun" with a series of meetings with local and federal legislators. Hochul is slated to officially become the state's 57th governor in just under two weeks, an intermediate period set by Cuomo.

While she described her placement into the role as unexpected, she repeatedly cited her preparedness.

"I'm prepared to take office, as any lieutenant governor is from the very first hour you're sworn in," she said. "The promise I make to all New Yorkers, right here and right now — I will fight like hell for you every single day."

When an investigation into the Cuomo administration was referenced by reporters, Hochul made a point to distance herself from the personal actions and culture alleged in the attorney general's report.

"I think it's fairly clear that the governor and I are not close — physically or otherwise," she said, noting her ties to upstate. "No one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment."

Still, she thanked the current governor for his service to the state, noting that his resignation was "appropriate and in the best interests of the state of New York."

Cuomo made the decision to step aside after a state attorney general's report concluded he sexually harassed at least 11 women, including some among state employees. It also listed alleged an instance of threatened retaliation against a former employee who threatened to speak out against the office.

Hochul's plans for the upcoming weeks include meeting with state cabinet officials and forming a solidified plan for her administration that will then be delivered to the public. Among her noted priorities are pandemic safety, a return to the classroom and employment across the state.

The incoming governor has longstanding ties across the state. Raised in Buffalo, she later graduated from Syracuse University in 1980 before entering public service.

Hochul served as the Erie County, New York, deputy court clerk in the early 2000s. She was appointed by then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer to take over as Erie County court clerk after her predecessor left office. Hochul later ran for the seat and won.

Hochul has been a part of several high-profile controversies over the course of her political career. In 2007, she openly opposed Spitzer’s proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for and receive a New York driver’s license. She said at the time that she’d have any undocumented immigrants who applied for a driver’s license arrested.

In 2018, she changed her position and said she supported a similar driver’s license program.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.