Here’s some good news and some bad news. New York City Mayor Eric Adams posted a thread Friday explaining some changes in mask and vaccine updates. The vaccine mandate for businesses will be lifted starting March 7 — no vaccine passport is necessary to eat at a restaurant.
Adams also said that with the record low numbers of coronavirus infections, the indoor mask mandate will be removed for New York City public schools this Monday, including kindergarten through grade 12. (Let’s hope the kids follow Gov. Kathy Hochul’s anti-DeSantis directive and don’t start to bully their classmates who choose to keep wearing a mask.)
Schools have remained among the safest places in the city throughout this pandemic, with record low numbers of infections. Beginning Monday, March 7, the indoor mask mandate will be removed for @NYCSchools K-12.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) March 4, 2022
The bad news; apparently because there’s still no vaccine for children under age 5, those kids are still going to be required to wear masks.
Masks will continue to be required for all settings with children under 5 years of age, including programs contracted by the New York City Department of Education with 3- and 4-year-old children as well as 3K and 4K classrooms in district schools.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) March 4, 2022
🦇💩🤪
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) March 5, 2022
No.
— Jonathan Reynolds 🗽 (@Trunalimunumap7) March 4, 2022
Great idea. Kids under 5 have great discipline to keep the masks on. No sane scientist thinks this is effective. We are the only western nation to do this our kids
— Nixon'schesthair (@Nixonchesthair) March 4, 2022
As a parent of a 4yo this is deeply disappointing. Requiring young children to be masked "in all settings" while nobody else needs to, is more harmful to the children than COVID at this point.
— Dominic Gagliardi (@domdadomdom) March 4, 2022
Recommended
— Tony FJB Bruno (@TonyBrunoShow) March 4, 2022
Given what we know about COVID, I and many parents I speak with are having difficulty understanding this mandate, especially in light of the childhood learning & social development issues that are increasingly coming to light. Would you please explain the basis for this decision?
— Erik Johnson 🦬 (@RedProdigal) March 4, 2022
The decision to keep toddlers in masks is nonsensical and infuriating. They are at by far lowest risk from Covid and hurt the most by having faces concealed as they develop language & social skills. This policy is wrong and it’s hurting young kids.
— Leah Sandals (@LSandals) March 4, 2022
Dear God, WHY?
— Yeah, I Said It (@corrcomm) March 5, 2022
Wow zero sense at all.
— Here for the new (@Hereforthenew1) March 4, 2022
I have a 21-month old who has been in daycare without a mask for a year and a half. Under the new policy, she needs to start wearing a mask at school the day she turns 2. This makes absolutely no sense at this point in time.
— Angela Vicari (@angevicari) March 4, 2022
Why only kids under 5? These are the least vulnerable & least likely to be able to wear a mask properly.
— C. (@ch_cbh) March 5, 2022
Don’t forget … those cloth masks are “little more than facial decoration.” They need to be wearing N95 masks properly fitted to their faces.
Five year olds will be the last people with masks on. We are a deeply unserious people.
— Gert B. Frobe (@ThumblessGrasp) March 5, 2022
— jessica (@jessica_sx08) March 5, 2022
Mayor, you really know how to follow Science™️! I’m impressed! So many evidences you have to do this. You should present them. 🤡
— Ellen Guimarães (@Ellengyn) March 5, 2022
There is no science that supports this. It’s only a few years until we’ll be seeing headlines about how damaging this was for children.
— les tois ombres (@kilo80echo) March 5, 2022
But lots of kids over 5 aren’t vaccinated. How does this make sense??
— MORE-UFT (@MOREcaucusUFT) March 4, 2022
This is not based on science.
— Stacy (@StacyLynn624) March 5, 2022
Why can an unvaccinated 5 year old go without a mask but an unvaccinated 4 year old must wear a mask? Simply because one is *eligible* for vaccination?
— matthew staneck (@MattStaneck) March 4, 2022
There is no science that justifies this.
— Leslie In Wonderland (@OurHappyPlace3) March 5, 2022
With the reasoning being that there is no vaccine available to those 5 and under…what happens when there is? There is no guarantee parents will give a child so young an experimental, symptom reducing shot. Unmask those babies while they still have a chance at a normal childhood
— Barbara (@lolabelle324) March 5, 2022
This makes no sense. 2/3 year olds eat and nap for more than 2 hours maskless in daycare. All in the same small windowless room. I’m all for safety but this lacks absolute common sense and is pure theatrics with the poor kids on the wrong end.
— Michael Gallacher (@Mikegallacher) March 4, 2022
Can you post your evidence that there is anything to be gained by masking 3-4 year olds?
— Paul Roundy (@PaulRoundy1) March 5, 2022
What is wrong with you?
— Theodore Donald "Donny" Kerabatsos 😊 (@cpmmk4) March 5, 2022
There is no data to support this anywhere. Zero. Ask those recommending this nonsense to you to show their work. It doesn’t exist. Lead don’t be led.
— James Namor ن (@JamesNamor) March 5, 2022
Ridiculous and absolutely NOT based on any science. Education in NYC is abysmal already so let’s keep setting these kids back even more
— Kintnerboy76 (@Kintnerboy76) March 5, 2022
It really is insane that children under 5, who are at the least risk, are going to be the last people wearing masks.
Related:
‘Why not right now?’ People have questions about timing of NY Gov. Hochul’s school mask mandate announcement https://t.co/SgL0kS8UZ7
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 28, 2022
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