It is the latest and largest U.S. city to drop most COVID-19 restrictions, but city officials still urge caution<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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MONDAY, March 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — As the COVID-19 surge driven by the omicron variant wanes, New York City announced that it will lift most of its pandemic restrictions.<\/p>\n
As of Monday, businesses will no longer have to ask for vaccination cards and masks will no longer be required in public schools for children ages 5 years and older, a city executive order<\/a> said. Restaurants and other businesses will be able to set their own mask policies.<\/p>\n New York City was once the pandemic epicenter in the United States, but its positivity rate is now only 1.6 percent over a seven-day average, CBS News<\/em> reported. It is the latest and largest U.S. city to drop most COVID-19 restrictions, but city officials still urge caution. “While this COVID-19 wave is ebbing, we can’t say that the pandemic is ending,” said New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi, M.D., CBS News<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n Other states and cities have already lifted COVID-19 restrictions: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the lifting of the statewide public health emergency, which includes a mask mandate for schools and day care centers, while Los Angeles officials lifted the city’s indoor mask requirement Friday, CBS News<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n Even though many cities are dropping mask mandates, the federal government still requires<\/a> masks be worn on planes, trains, and other public transportation. But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased COVID-19 restrictions for most Americans.<\/p>\n