As over 17 million vaccines have been distributed in New York City and cases continue to drop, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city has made “tremendous progress,” detailing various changes to COVID-19 protocols.

All indoor venues, such as restaurants and fitness centers, are not obligated to demand vaccination proof before entering anymore but can choose to if they wish. K-12 students are no longer obliged to wear masks in public schools, although institutions will still be required to follow certain COVID-19 rules.

“Two years ago, New York City was the epicenter of the pandemic,” Adams said. “I’ve said time and time again that the numbers and science will guide us as we continue to recover and rebuild, and now New York City is back, and vaccinations are why we’re back.

Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Financial Times in February that the United States is finally exiting the “full-blown” phase of the pandemic, and entering a sense of regularity known to pre-pandemic times. “There will also be more people making their own decisions on how they want to deal with the virus,” he added.

Mayor Adams also revealed an arrangement of color codes that will give New Yorkers a clearer understanding of the virus' status in the city. Green represents a low alert level, yellow represents a medium alert level, orange represents a high alert level, and red represents a very high alert level.

"New Yorkers should be getting out and enjoying our amazing city," Adams added. "The fight may not be over, but we’re clearly winning the war. We are open for business and New York City has its groove back.”

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