NEW YORK — Nearly two years after schools first shutdown due to the pandemic, most public school students will have the option to remove their masks in the classroom Monday.

"We want to see their smiles, we want to see how happy they are, we want to see when they're feeling sad, so we can be there to comfort them and the masks prevented us from doing so for almost two years,” Mayor Adams said Friday.

But, the city's youngest students will have to remain masked up. The mask mandate will remain in effect for children under five, who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.

What You Need To Know

  • The mayor has lifted the school mask mandate for children in kindergarten through 12th grade

  • But the mandate will remain in place for students younger than five, including those in pre-K

  • Those children are too young to be vaccinated, and Adams says higher rates of hospitalization are keeping him from removing the mandate

"When you looked at those under five, they were more likely to be hospitalized, and people wanted to say let's lift it across the board, but that's not what the science was showing us,” Adams said when asked why those students will have to continue masking up.

Hospitalization rates for those under five which includes hospitalization figures for infants, who are too young to attend schools — have been higher than for children five to twelve during recent surges. But the rates were still much lower than the rates for older adults.

"I think we should require everyone over 50 to wear a mask if that’s how we’re doing this," parent Daniela Jampel said.

Jampel has two children in public schools. Her eight-year-old will be to learn without a mask Monday — but her four-year-old will not.

"They’re the ones that really need this, they’re the ones who have never gone to school without a mask, they’re the ones who are learning to speak, they’re the ones who are learning to socialize,” she said of children under five.

But Adams says he's not willing to take chances with those young children.

"I would rather people complain against me than have us losing our babies in this city,” he said.

Not everyone is in a rush to remove their masks. Parents and students had mixed feelings.

"I want to keep the kids safe, and I think that should be the first priority. I think there are a lot of people who are really feeling the need to rush through the mask mandate and get rid of masks. That said, I think if it can be done safely, it would be great for all the kids,” parent Samantha Sagui said.

"I'm not really adjusted to removing my mask yet, so I'm going to keep it on, until the time comes,” seventh-grade student Kalika Tadipatri said.

Schools will continue to keep masks on hand for any student who wants one.