New York City schools will end their outdoor mask mandates starting on Monday, but face coverings will still be required for all students, staff and visitors inside the buildings, Chancellor David Banks announced Friday.
Other core COVID protocol, like increased ventilation, distancing when possible, test kit distribution and daily health screening, will also stay in place for now.
“Throughout the pandemic, our schools have remained some of the safest spaces for our students and staff, thanks to our gold standard health and safety protocol,” Banks said in a statement. “I am so pleased that we are able to make this exciting announcement and safely allow students and staff to remove their masks when outdoors at NYC public schools.”
It comes the same day the CDC is expected to reveal loosened federal mask guidance, saying in part that most Americans needn’t wear masks in indoor public settings. The new recommendations are part of an overall shift in focus for the Biden administration, which is moving from an infection containment approach to mitigating severe illness and death linked to COVID-19, the AP has reported.
A growing number of states have already eased mask guidance — or removed rules entirely — amid the rapid decline of omicron variant-linked new infections and continuous slowing of hospitalization and death rates connected to COVID.
Schools are one place in New York where the mandates have lingered, even as New Jersey looks to lift its indoor school mask rules early next month. Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she would consider doing the same statewide in New York, assuming kids return to class after the mid-winter break with no new severe COVID spikes, though individual districts have always been permitted to implement stricter rules.
It is expected that New York City would likely keep its indoor mask mandate through the April break, at least.
