COVID mandates on the way out, city and state leaders say
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Gov. Kathy Hochul opened the door to municipalities lifting COVID restrictions starting March 2. Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
By Rachel Vick
With COVID-19 rates steadily decreasing in New York, city and state leaders are taking the opportunity to reevaluate safety measures that have been in place for months.
Mayor Eric Adams was among those to test the waters of easing mandates over the weekend, promising to remove restrictions if COVID numbers continue trending downward.
“Our schools have been among the safest places for our children since the beginning of the pandemic,” Adams said. “We will continue to make the proper public health decisions to keep our kids safe, including making masks available for any child or school staff member who wishes to continue wearing them.”
Starting March 7, in-school mask mandates for Department of Education students and Key2NYC requirements — vaccine mandates for in-person entertainment, including dining — will be lifted, barring unforeseen spikes.
The outdoor mask mandate for students was lifted upon their return from midwinter break Monday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that as of March 2, the state’s school mask mandate would be lifted. Hochul cited Center for Disease Control and Prevention metrics that determined risk and transmission levels, and consulted with the state’s health officials.
The elected officials said that other precautions, like good ventilation, would remain in place to mitigate the risk of COVID–19 spread.
“Because New Yorkers have stepped up, we can confidently remove the statewide mask requirement in our schools," Governor Hochul said. "This is a huge step forward for our kids and communities and I am grateful to the students, educators and parents for their dedication to keeping us all safe — we've reached this milestone because of your hard work."
Queens Community Education Council 29 member Dr. Kim West said she tried explaining the difference in the state and city requirements to her eight year old son, who asked, “why do my teachers still have [masks] on?”
After she explained the oversight, he proclaimed that he would still be wearing his.
“I totally agree with my eight year old,” West said. “Safety is a comfort zone in the mind of the beholder.”
For the borough's Catholic school students, the decision to wear a mask will be left up to the adults at home once the state’s mandate is lifted, the Brooklyn Diocese announced Monday.
Universal Pre-K students will still be required to wear masks under DOE regulations.
“We respect all faculty, staff, and parents of differing opinions, and we understand the concern on both sides of the issue,” Diocese officials told parents in a letter. “No individual, faculty, staff, or student will be discouraged from wearing a face covering at school and face coverings will remain a recommended mitigation strategy.”
COVID-19 rates remain just below 2 percent citywide, according to Department of Health data. Confirmed cases, hospitalization and deaths are all declining.
Queens has the third highest number of new cases as of Feb. 25, but cases are still declining.
