(Bloomberg) -- Students at New York City's public schools will not have to wear masks outdoors when they return after a winter break Monday, the first step toward what Mayor Eric Adams said was a plan to ease Covid-19 mandates.
Masks will still be required inside for all students, staff and visitors of the largest U.S. school system, which has roughly 1 million students.
Adams said he was eager to lift all city mask and vaccine mandates, but he would “follow the science” and do so only on the suggestion of health officials. He said the city was looking into phasing out proof-of-vaccination requirement to enter stadiums, restaurants, bars and other indoor spaces over the next few weeks.
“I want to get back to a maskless city,” Adams said in a press conference Friday. “I'm so tired of wearing these masks.”
Read More: NYC Mayor Eyes End to Vaccination Rule for Restaurants, Bars
Covid-19 cases in New York City and across the state have dropped precipitously from December's omicron-fueled surge. Only 1.73% of Covid tests were positive over seven days, according to city data as of Feb. 21. The seven-day average of daily hospitalizations dropped to 29, from more than 1,000 in early January.
Governor Kathy Hochul said she was going to reevaluate whether to drop the statewide mask mandate at schools at the end of next week, a move in line with what most New Yorkers support, according to a Feb. 22 Siena poll.
Nearly 60% of New Yorkers said they wanted to wait for early March data on Covid-19 cases before deciding whether to lift the school mandate, according to a poll of registered voters taken Feb. 14-17. The move would bring New York in line with neighboring states like New Jersey, which will drop its school mask mandate March 7.
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