Everything you need to know about new mask and vaccine mandates in New York
A return to normalcy is on the horizon in the Big Apple as city and state officials move to rescind a series of COVID-19 mandates, but pandemic restrictions aren’t totally over just yet.
Gov. Kathy Hochul ended New York’s statewide mask mandate for most indoor settings last month, and on Sunday, she announced face coverings would no longer be required in schools starting Wednesday, March 2.
Vaccine requirements in the five boroughs will also be reduced come next week, but some, including an order mandating public employees to get the jab or lose their job, will remain in effect.
The changes come after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday it’s relaxing its masking guidelines and most US counties no longer meet the threshold at which indoor face coverings in public are recommended.
Instead of only looking at confirmed case counts, the agency will consider the risk the virus poses to individual communities based largely on the number of severe cases and hospital admissions before issuing a mask recommendation.
Here’s everything we know about which pandemic restrictions are still in effect in New York and the rules that are ending.
Where are masks no longer required in New York?
Mask mandates in most indoor settings, including shops, grocery stores, offices, apartment building common areas and entertainment settings, were lifted in mid-February, but individual companies can still set their own rules and require face coverings.
Starting Wednesday, masks will no longer be required in public schools across the state, but individual municipalities can still mandate face coverings if they choose.
In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams announced last week Big Apple students no longer have to wear a face covering while doing outdoor activities, and on Sunday, he said the mask mandate would be rescinded altogether on Monday, March 7, barring any sudden spike in cases.
“At the end of this week, we will evaluate the numbers and make a final announcement on Friday. If we see no unforeseen spikes and our numbers continue to show a low level of risk, New York City will remove the indoor mask mandate for public school children,” Adams explained in a statement.
Where are masks still required in New York?
New Yorkers will still need to wear a face covering while on public transportation, including in taxis, and in congregate-care settings such as nursing homes, correctional facilities and homeless shelters, regardless of a person’s vaccination status.
Face coverings must also still be worn in health care settings.
Kids over the age of 2 in daycare programs are still required to wear masks, as are staffers at the facilities, pursuant to a separate order from the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that’s yet to be rescinded.
Private establishments such as restaurants, shops, museums, gyms and entertainment centers can also still require patrons and workers to mask up. For example, theatergoers are still required to be vaccinated and wear masks while attending Broadway shows at least through April 30, according to The Broadway League.
Federal rules still require masks at airports, train stations and other transport hubs, too — at least until March 18, when the order is due to expire.
Which vaccine mandates are ending?
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Key2NYC” program that required proof of vaccination to enter indoor restaurants, gyms, indoor entertainment venues and certain meeting spaces will end on March 7 as long as there’s no sudden spike in COVID-19 metrics, Adams said.
Hizzoner, who made the announcement Sunday, said the one-week notice will “give business owners the time to adapt.”
Which vaccine mandates are still in effect?
In his statement Sunday, Adams made it clear that “all other vaccine mandates in New York City will remain in place at this time as they are, and have been, vital to protecting New Yorkers.”
Municipal workers in the five boroughs, such as teachers, sanitation workers and cops, still need to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they want to keep their jobs, and the private sector is also still mandated to require the jab for in-person workers.
The de Blasio-era policy, announced about three weeks before he left office, forbids unvaccinated staffers from entering workplaces without proof they’ve received their shot.
The city defines “workplaces” as any location — including a vehicle — where a person works in the presence of at least one other person.
Fines for non-compliant businesses start at $1,000, and rise upon subsequent infractions.
