You are reading

Vaccine Passes and School Mask Mandates To be Scrapped From Monday: Adams

Vaccine requirements for businesses and most mask-wearing mandates in schools will be lifted across the city starting Monday (NY State via Flickr)

Mar. 4, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

New Yorkers are about to take a major step towards normalcy.

Vaccine requirements for businesses and most mask-wearing mandates in schools will be lifted across the five boroughs starting Monday as the city appears to be winning the battle against COVID-19.

The pandemic preventative measures – which have proven highly controversial — will be rolled back following plummeting coronavirus figures, Mayor Eric Adams announced Friday at a press briefing in Times Square.

Restaurants, gyms and indoor venues will no longer be forced to check the vaccination status of customers before allowing them entry – although employees at the establishments will still need to be vaccinated in order to work. The mandate was first introduced by former Mayor Bill de Blasio in September as part of his Key to NYC initiative and it was continued under Adams.

School mask-wearing mandates for kindergarten students through 12th grade will also be scrapped. However, kids in pre-K and daycare facilities will still be required to wear face coverings, Adams said.

“This is about giving people the flexibility that is needed to continue [safely], but we have to get our economy back on track,” Adams said in relation to the ditching of vaccine requirements for businesses.

“We are open for business and New York City has its groove back.”

The mayor said that businesses will still have the option to deny customers entry based on their vaccination status.

The pandemic preventative measures will be rolled back following plummeting coronavirus figures, Mayor Eric Adams announced Friday at a press briefing in Times Square (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

The announcement comes as the city’s COVID positivity rate has plummeted to 1.65 percent, according to city-data. In Queens, the latest 7-day average of positive cases is 131, down from an Omicron-driven peak of 12,592 on Jan. 3.

Adams said the school positivity rate stood at 0.18 percent, which is well below the city average. The figures were low enough for him to begin rolling back mask-wearing mandates in schools, he said.

“We want to see the faces of our children, we want to see their smiles, we want to see how happy they are, we want to see when they’re feeling sad so we can be there to comfort them,” Adams said.

“The masks prevented us from doing so for almost two years.”

Adams said students still had the option of wearing a mask in school if they so wish.

He also said that other COVID safety protocols like weekly testing, case surveillance and deep cleaning efforts will continue in public schools.

However, masks will still be required on public transport, Adams said, noting that the city still has to proceed with caution.

He warned that some of the measurements being lifted Monday may make a return if the city sees another spike.

“COVID changes, it shifts, it modifies, we must be open to do the same,” Adams said.

“And if we see a rise in cases or hospitalizations, we’re going to come back, follow the numbers and follow the science.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Anonymous

Great. Next step is getting rid of crime. NY will never be open for business as it once was until the crime problem is resolved.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Catch the fall vibe at these western Queens breweries

Sep. 3, 2025 By Jessica Militello

September rings in the start of Oktoberfest from mid-September through October, featuring special brews, fun events and more fall fun. Western Queens is filled with breweries to enjoy seasonal brews, fall flavors and the start of cooler weather as Autumn approaches, making it a perfect time to meet up with friends at these local spaces.

Op-Ed | Four years after Hurricane Ida, Queens deserves real climate resilience

Sep. 2, 2025 By Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas

Four years ago, Hurricane Ida tore through our neighborhoods of East Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights, leaving behind devastation we will never forget. We lost neighbors to the floodwaters. Families saw their homes destroyed, their basements wiped out, their lives upended. Immigrant families—so many of them undocumented—were hit the hardest, often excluded from relief altogether. Ida was not just a storm; it was a wake-up call.

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.