NEW YORK — New York City will lift its indoor mask mandate for public school students and “Key to NYC" requirements on Monday, March 7 if the five boroughs continue to see a “low level” of COVID-19 risk, Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday.

Adams is expected to formally announce the news on Friday, he said in a press release. His announcement came hours after Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state would lift its mask mandate for schools on Wednesday, March 2.

The city’s Key to NYC rules require restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues to ask patrons and customers for proof of vaccination.

"Our schools have been among the safest places for our children since the beginning of the pandemic, and we will continue to make the proper public health decisions to keep our kids safe, including making masks available for any child or school staff member who wishes to continue wearing them," Adams said in a statement. 

Lifting the Key to NYC requirements on March 7 "will give business owners the time to adapt and will allow us to ensure we are making the best public health decisions for the people of New York," he added. 

The city’s other vaccine mandates, including its private sector mandate, “will remain in place at this time as they are, and have been, vital to protecting New Yorkers,” the mayor noted.