New York lifting statewide school mask mandate Wednesday, NYC expected next week
NEW YORK -- Tri-State officials are making major changes to mask mandates and other COVID restrictions.
New York will end its statewide school mask mandate Wednesday, along with the Archdiocese of New York. Mayor Eric Adams says he plans to end the indoor mask mandate for New York City schools a week from Monday.
Officials say both students and staff will still have the option to wear their masks.
As CBS2's John Dias reported, the morning drop-off at P.S. 387 Spruce Street School in Lower Manhattan was met with different jitters Monday. Some parents said they're nervous for what the coming days will bring.
"Kids can still bring it home, and I have elderly parents, they can get sick," parent Tiara Tang told Dias.
"I'm very upset about it, because my daughter has an underlying condition," parent Karen John said.
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Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday she is following the science and lifting the state's mask mandate in schools and child care settings effective Wednesday. New York Catholic schools will also end their mandate that same day.
"This is not just an instinct, a reaction, a gut feeling," Hochul said. "You do it based on listening to the experts. You do it based on metrics and data that are reliable."
Outdoor mask use ends Monday for New York City schools, and the mayor says as long as numbers keep dropping, he will eliminate the school mask mandate altogether on March 7 for the nearly one million city school children in the country's largest school system. The final decision won't come until Friday.
"Great, I love it. It's about time," said parent Tabbitha Ruiz. "I feel like these kids are just suffering having that on their face."
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In another big step for the Big Apple, a week from Monday, patrons of bars, restaurants, theaters and other public venues will no longer have to show their vaccine cards at the door to get in, as long as case numbers don't spike again.
Chrissy Rodriguez, the general manager of Zuckers Bagels on Fulton Street, told Dias she's eager to take down her COVID rules sign, predicting it will help businesses.
"Sometimes, they get a little frustrated, because everybody wants this to be over," she said. "More positivity in the air... My cashiers always ask, and I feel like it's going to be more customers are going to come in, which is always great for the economy."
Adams said all other vaccine mandates will remain in place, including work-related ones.
Meanwhile, Connecticut lifted its statewide school mask mandate on Monday, and New Jersey will follow suit on March 7. Officials say the decision will now be up to individual school districts.
As of last Friday, the federal government also lifted the nationwide requirement for masks on school buses.
