NEW YORK: Mayor Eric Adams announced on Friday that New York City will suspend the Covid-19 vaccine passport programme and remove the requirement for K-12 students to wear indoor masks in public schools beginning next Monday.
The decision is based on a sharp decrease in new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, as well as a 96 percent vaccination rate among adults in the city, according to the media reports..
On Wednesday, New York State lifted the statewide mask mandate for schools, while students and staff in New York City public schools were no longer required to wear masks outside beginning this Monday.
"With the steady decline in cases and hospitalizations since the Omicron peak, we are now safely entering a new phase of the pandemic," said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Adams declared a decisive victory in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, stating that "indoor venues, including restaurants, fitness facilities, and entertainment spaces, will no longer be required to check for proof of vaccination before customers enter," and that the Key to NYC programme would be suspended.
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