The era of  school mask mandates apparently is nearing its end in New York City, as Mayor Adams today began the process of “peeling back the mask” for the youngest schoolchildren.

“[I]f the numbers continue to show a low level of risk … masks will be optional for 2 to 4-year-old students in schools and daycare,” Mr. Adams said.

The policy will go into effect on April 4. The mayor explained that officials wanted to have “two incubation periods” after ending the mask mandate for most students in the public school children.

“We can’t go by the noise, we have to go by the science and we have to go by the safety of our children, so we want to see our baby’s faces,” Mr. Adams said.

The announcement comes about two weeks after the school mask mandate ended for most students in the public school system. On March 7 the school mask mandate ended for students in kindergarten to the 12th grade.

The administration stressed that the repeal of the mask mandate is contingent on low infection rates. The Covid positivity rate is 1.89 percent in the past month.

“Less risk means more choices for New Yorkers as to which precautions are mandatory and which are optional,” the city health commissioner, Ashwin Vasan, said. “If we see the level of risk rise either before or after lifting the mandate we might be here having another conversation.”

Dr. Vasan also stressed that New Yorkers should be respectful of the choices that New Yorkers make for themselves and their children in regard to masking in public spaces.

“As a parent I have experienced how personal this issue of masks can be,” Dr. Vasan said. “Whatever we require as a city, some children and some parents will choose to stay masked and some will not, let’s be respectful of whatever choice families make.”

The announcement comes as a battle over mayoral control of schools is heating up in New York City. The provision, which is up for renewal this year, was not included in this year’s preliminary state budget.

If the legislature doesn’t add mayoral control to the budget, it would end a policy that has been in place since 2002.