Masks will be optional for children under 5 years old in schools and day cares starting April 4 if the risk of COVID-19 remains low, according to an announcement by Mayor Eric Adams.

“I have always said that the science will guide us out of the pandemic, and because we have followed the data, we are winning the fight against COVID-19. New York City is currently in a low-risk environment,” Adams said in a statement.

Officials said that over the next two weeks, COVID-19 numbers will be monitored closely.

"If we see the levels of risk rise either before or after the mandate is lifted, we may be here having another conversation," Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said at Tuesday's press briefing.

Vasan said that while COVID-19 cases are increasing slightly due to the new strain BA.2, hospitals have plenty of capacity and admissions remain low.

"Less risk means more choices for New Yorkers about which precautions are mandatory and which are optional," he said. 

Vasan also said that the slight uptick in cases is just one metric the city uses to assess overall risk. He pointed to the continued need to combat the virus with vaccinations, boosters and getting treatment right away if a person receives a positive test.

"What we know about BA.2 is that it is more transmissible, it is not yet shown to be more severe in any way, and we are going to see some rise in cases," he said. "We are more prepared than ever to tolerate that in our hospital systems, but also with all the tools we have in the community to keep ourselves safe, to keep ourselves out of the hospitals in the first place."

In terms of lifting other COVID-19 restrictions, including the vaccine mandate at private businesses that applies to players on the city's professional sports teams, the mayor said those actions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

"We are going to do it layer by layer and each layer we peel back we going to do an analysis: 'Are we OK?'" the mayor said. "Baseball, basketball, businesses, all of those things, they have to wait until their layer comes, and right now, we are announcing just our 2 to 4 year olds."

The commissioner also urged respect for those that wish to continue to mask.

"You don't know what life circumstances someone might be accounting for in their choice to remain masked," he said.