BY ETHAN STARK-MILLER
Monday marked the end of
the vaccine requirement for
indoor businesses and dropping
the mask mandate for
K-12 public school students in
New York City.
“Two years ago, New York
City was the epicenter of the
pandemic, but thanks to New
Yorkers getting vaccinated
and getting boosted we have
made tremendous progress,”
Adams said during a Times
Square announcement on
March 4. “I’ve said time and
time again that the numbers
and science will guide us as
we continue to recover and
rebuild, and now New York
City is back, and vaccinations
are why we’re back.
New Yorkers should be getting
out and enjoying our
amazing city. The fight may
not be over, but we’re clearly
winning the war. We are
open for business and New
York City has its groove
back.”
Starting Monday, New
York City businesses – including
restaurants, fi tness
facilities and entertainment
centers – will no longer be required
to ask patrons for proof
of vaccination at the door,
which was under the program
known as Key to NYC. However,
the mayor said individual
businesses will still have
the discretion to ask customers
about their vaccine status
before letting them enter.
“This is about giving people
the fl exibility as needed
to continue to allow not only
safety, but we have to get our
economy back on track,” Adams
said. “It’s time to open
our city and get the economy
back operating.”
At the same time, Adams
said, K-12 students will no
longer be required to wear
masks in the city’s public
schools. But, he added, children
under five will still
have to wear masks and other
school safety protocols for
preventing the spread of COVID
19 will remain in place.
These include increased ventilation,
daily screenings for
COVID-19 symptoms and test
kit distributions.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 44 MAR. 11-17, 2022 BTR
Additionally, Adams said,
children who want to continue
to wear masks will be
free to do so.
“We want to see the faces
of our children,” Adams said.
“We want to see their smiles.
We want to see how happy
they are. We want to see when
they’re feeling sad so that we
can be there to comfort them
and the masks prevented us
from doing so for almost two
years.”
The mayor also unveiled
a new color-coded alert system
to help people better assess
COVID-19 risk in the city.
The alert levels range from
“Low” to “Very High” and
each comes with a set of precautions
and recommendations
for both people and the
city government to follow.
“This is a celebratory moment,”
Adams said. “We’ve
been waiting for this day for
so long. And we’re here. So,
let’s celebrate the win. Go out
this weekend. Go Dine. Go enjoy
your family. Go for a walk.
Stop and see me at City Hall.
We are winning folks.
Monday, March 7 marked the end of the vaccine requirement for indoor
businesses and dropping the mask mandate for K-12 public school students
in New York City. Photo Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Offi ce
Maskless Monday: NYC face
covering rules come to a close
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Bronx, New York
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