Locations where masks will still be required in NYC

New York City has announced a plan to suspend its mask mandate and requirements for most public school students on Monday, March 7, as confirmed by Mayor Eric Adams. However, there are still a number of places where face coverings will be required.

Adams said at a news briefing in Times Square on Friday morning that indoor venues including restaurants, gyms and entertainment spaces will no longer be required to ask patrons and customers for proof of vaccination starting Monday, March 7.

The city’s other vaccine mandates, including its private sector mandate, will remain in place, the mayor noted in a press release.

Masks will still be required in some indoor settings, per statewide rules, including in hospitals and state-regulated healthcare settings, nursing homes and adult care facilities, homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters, public transit and transportation hubs including airports, trains and planes.

Public school students under the age of five will also still be required to wear masks in classrooms, as they are not yet eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Meanwhile, pupils in kindergarten through 12th grade, will no longer have to wear masks indoors beginning Monday, the mayor said.

Businesses in New York City will still be allowed to require proof of vaccination or masks indoors if they wish, Adams said.