Mayor Eric Adams is not planning on reinstating mask mandates.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in New York City. According to New York’s health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the city is experiencing a high concentration of fresh infections, which in turn are putting a demonstrably higher strain on New York’s healthcare system. As such, the COVID alert level is currently set to “high.”

Officials on Monday strongly recommended that New Yorkers wear medical-grade masks in offices, grocery stores and other public indoor settings, stopping short of a mandate as the city approaches a "high" alert level for Covid-19. https://t.co/3GOBBeQA4r

— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 16, 2022

“We’re in an environment of rising risk, but we’ve got all sorts of tools to help keep us safe,” Dr. Vasan told CNN. “We have a strong mask culture in this city … where people are taking those precautions on subways and indoor settings.”

“So that’s what we’re asking New Yorkers to do now, is to just ramp up those activities and take those extra precautions,” he said. “We are no longer in an emergency even though we’re still in this pandemic.”

As health officials warn of rising Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations, the mayor of New York said the city would not reinstate mask mandates at this time.https://t.co/jkeIa6YArU

— CNN (@CNN) May 19, 2022

While health officials are recommending New Yorkers don masks in indoor settings and public transport, Mayor Eric Adams is not planning on reinstating the mask mandate.

“I’m proud of what we are doing and how we are not allowing Covid to outstmart us,” Mayor Adams said at a news conference. “We’re staying prepared and not panicking.”

“Variants are going to come,” he said. “If every variant that comes, we move into shutdown thoughts, we move into panicking, we’re not going to function as a city.”