NYC Schools Will End Outdoor Mask Mandate

NEW YORK CITY — New York City public school students can go mask-free outdoors starting next week, officials announced.

The rule's end Feb. 28 represents a major step toward lifting coronavirus restrictions that have defined public school students' lives for nearly two years.

But it's not a complete change — masks still will be mandatory for children, staff and visitors inside of school buildings, Department of Education officials said.

"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," David Banks, the city's schools chancellor, 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."

COVID-19 positivity in schools has consistently been lower than elsewhere across New York City.

And coronavirus levels citywide have taken a steep decline after hitting 48,000 cases in one day when the omicron variant spread like wildfire through the city.

The city saw 1,106 cases Wednesday, according to state health department data — a 98 percent dip from omicron's peak.

Mayor Eric Adams on Friday praised lifting the outdoor mask rule, even as he didn't give a date when indoor masking would end.

“Eventually we’re going to move to the place to ease up on many of these mandates so we can get back to a level of normality that we are looking for,” Adams said on PIX11.

Gov. Kathy Hochul previously said she'll take another look at school mask rules statewide in March, after students return from spring break.