Adams announced last week that he would end the indoor mask mandate for public school children starting March 7. But there will be no changes to mask mandates in public transit and healthcare facilities.
“With more New Yorkers getting vaccinated, and the steady decline over the past several weeks in cases and hospitalizations from Omicron, we are now entering a new phase of the pandemic,” said Hochul in a statement. “Because New Yorkers have stepped up, we can confidently remove the statewide mask requirement in our schools.”
Adams has also ended the Key2NYC rules that required vaccination for indoor dining, indoor fitness and indoor entertainment spaces.Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said that while the mayor has lifted the mandate, he will continue to monitor the situation on his own. “We’re talking about a group that’s the least at risk,” said Davids. “So as far as I’m concerned, it’s unconscionable that we’ve been masking kids now for two years. They’ve been traumatized, they’re depressed…Children are behind in speech development and learning because of these mass mandates. I’m glad that it’s finally going to be lifted, and let the parents decide what is best for the child.”
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is in the same boat. Williams cited the lack of ventilation issues in certain schools.