With a forward-looking mindset, New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday said he is not too keen on reimplementing some mask and vaccine mandates that his health team says could be necessary again as the COVID risk spikes in the city.
Adams revealed that he might not put the mask and vaccine requirements back in place unless other more troubling coronavirus data points also begin surging.
“Our hospitalizations are at a steady level, deaths are at a steady level. As the cases tick up, we are not at the area where we have to move to the next level,” Adams said.
Adams explained that his current policy balanced any new pandemic restrictions with economic concerns and noted that the Health Department guidelines are recommendations, not requirements.
“The most important term: ‘considering,’ ” he said.
“We have to factor in everything, and I think Gov. Hochul was right when she stated, ‘We can’t close down our city.’ We need healthy bodies, healthy minds, and a healthy economy. They all go together,” he added.
Sources said since taking office, Adams has made the case that COVID restrictions should be peeled back to stimulate the city’s pandemic-battered economy.
This March, Adams rescinded the public school mask requirement and the Key2NYC vaccine mandate for indoor activities like dining and gyms.
A few weeks later, he also decided to exempt professional athletes and performers from the city’s private-employer vaccine mandate.
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