NEW YORK — New York state’s mandate requiring mask use at schools will end this Wednesday, says Gov. Kathy Hochul, with the Big Apple to follow as soon as March 7, according to Mayor Eric Adams.
The city will also end requirements for New Yorkers to show proof of vaccination at indoor settings that date, provided there’s a “low level of risk,” Adams said.
The governor cited steep declines in the state’s COVID-19 numbers — which reached alarming heights through the holidays — as the reason for the next milestone in the state’s pandemic response.
“Given the decline in our rates, our hospitalization, strong vaccination rates and the CDC guidance — my friends, the day has come,” Hochul said Sunday at an Albany press conference, adding that cities and counties will be able to make their own decisions about facial coverings for students and educators.
Following the announcement, Adams said the city would evaluate COVID-19 numbers and make its determination on Friday.
“If we see no unforeseen spikes and our numbers continue to show a low level of risk, New York City will remove the indoor mask mandate for public school children, effective next Monday, March 7,” he said in a statement.
He also said the city would drop its “Key to NYC” mandate requiring proof of vaccination at indoor venues including restaurants, gyms and entertainment spaces on March 7 — as long as “there are no surprises this week.”
“This will give business owners the time to adapt and will allow us to ensure we are making the best public health decisions for the people of New York,” Adams stated.
The state is waiting until Wednesday to lift the mandate to allow families and educators returning from last week’s mid-winter break to “assess” the new situation, the governor said.
Amid the horrors of the pandemic, one apparent blessing was the relatively low level of infection and hospitalization among children.
Still, during a nationwide spike in cases fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant of coronavirus, numbers went up among youngsters, too.
The seven-day average of COVID-19 cases among 5- to 18-year-olds skyrocketed from 832 at the September start of the school year to 14,167 on Jan. 10, according to Hochul. By Friday, the number had dropped to 229.
“We’re at our lowest point in pediatric cases since July of 2021,” the governor said.
The same trend took place for the state as a whole, with 51 straight days of decreased cases.
The change in policy applies to kids ages 2 and up in child care settings. Pending further review, the mandate will remain in effect at state-run health care facilities, nursing homes, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters, Hochul said.
Since taking office, Adams has shown eagerness for the city to move on from the pandemic. On Friday, he said masks would no longer be required at outdoor settings at schools.
Adams has also said he wants to nix the city mandate requiring proof of vaccination at indoor settings like restaurants and entertainment venues.
“Within the next few weeks, you’re going to see many of these mandates dissipate,” the mayor said Friday.
Hochul said she made her decision after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday dropped mask recommendations for localities with “low” transmission rates — a designation that applies to most of the country, including New York City’s five counties.
Sunday’s announcement by Hochul marked the latest turning point for school systems that have been reeling since states of emergency were declared in March 2020.
The city’s public schools shut down March 15, 2020, with the rocky rollout of online learning beginning days later. Last school year got off to a delayed start, though renewed outbreaks prompted additional shutdowns in fall 2020.
The current school year began with vaccine mandates for staffers and random testing at buildings. Hochul on Sunday said another 4.8 million COVID-19 tests are being sent to schools throughout the state this week.
The city’s powerful teachers union has voiced a cautious stance throughout the pandemic.
“We are very happy to see that the numbers are going in the right direction,” Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said in a statement. “We will confer with our own independent doctors, look at the data from take-home test kits and random in-school testing this week and make sure all of that is taken into account as New York City reviews its own school masking policy.”
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