Protest held outside City Hall to end mask mandate for children 5 and under
NEW YORK -- A rally against a remaining mask mandate for some children was held Sunday in front of City Hall on Sunday.
Protesters gathered in lower Manhattan, upset the mayor's office is continuing the mandate for children younger than 5 years old while in school.
Health officials say it's necessary because children under 5 can not be vaccinated.
A collection of parents, teachers, and doctors spoke out against the rule, days after city Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan addressed the topic.
"All the data shows that a triple vaccinated adult is more at risk than an unvaccinated child. And these are important years of their lives. You're giving them social, emotional, developmental issues -- for what benefit?" one parent said.
"I would love nothing more than to send my son to daycare without a mask, but as a scientist and as a doctor and epidemiologist I want to keep him safe," Vasan said.
City Hall says it looks forward to lifting the remaining mask requirements and expects to update the public soon.
Right now, the mandate is indefinite.