>> good morning, mika, joe. this is the time because people now have the ability to keep themselves safe. you are not going to get -- the referees aren't going to throw up the flag and say "all clear, zero infections, everybody back on the field." that's not the way it works. we do know that we can deal with omicron or zombie cron or whatever comes next and keep people safe. our schools have been the safest place to be for the last two years and we are going to keep them that way. >> good morning, governor lamont. it is willie geist. it is good to have you on the show today. so many are breathing a sigh of relief that masks are coming off in the schools. you have said schools have been among the safest places over the last two years in your state and in other states. can you talk about the decision to pull back the mandate now and why not sooner when many doctors said it could be done? >> look, i got together with kathy hochul and charlie baker