NEW YORK — As long as New York’s coronavirus infection risk remains low, toddlers won’t have to wear face masks in school starting next month, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday amid concerns that a new COVID-19 variant will cause cases to rise.
Adams, who dropped the mask requirement for K-12 students on March 7, said that, come April 4, kids younger than 5 won’t need to wear face coverings in school or at day care settings, either. But with that, he included the caveat that he may reconsider the move if COVID-19 cases surge.
“If the numbers continue to show a low level of risk, masks will be optional for 2-to-4-year-old students in schools and in day cares,” Adams said in the City Hall rotunda. “We want to see our babies’ faces again.”
