Mayor Eric Adams announced the end of school mask mandates and vaccine passports across New York City.
The eradication of the local COVID-19 mandates will come into effect starting Monday.
“The rates are now low enough that the mandatory program is no longer needed,” Adams said. “It’s time to open our city.”
The changes mean patrons at Big Apple restaurants, gyms and indoor venues — including theaters — will no longer have to show proof of vaccination in order to enter.
Individual businesses can still decide to enforce their own rules.
Children in K-12 school settings will also no longer have to don face coverings indoors.
The numbers of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths are still declining, the latest city health data shows. New York City recorded an average of 541 new COVID-19 cases in the last seven days, which is down from the more than 2,000 per day just one month ago.
The city’s seven-day average positivity rate is currently 1.8 percent.
Some pandemic restrictions, however, will still remain in the five boroughs for now — including a mandate that public employees must be vaccinated.
Mask rules are expected to still be enforced on public transportation and in nursing homes, correctional facilities and homeless shelters. Face coverings will also still be required in health care settings.