As of June 15, 2021, the State's health guidance and New York Forward industry-specific guidelines—including social gathering limits, capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, health screening, and contact information for tracing—are now lifted for most businesses and other commercial settings.

To learn more about NY State's health guidance, visit the business section of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health and Safety page.

The New York State mask-or-vaccine requirement for all indoor businesses settings was officially lifted on Thursday, February 10, 2022.

However the State still requires face coverings for everyone when in:

• Public transit
• Health care settings
• Childcare centers
• Congregate settings, such as nursing homes and homeless shelters
• Correctional facilities

Private Businesses

The Key to NYC vaccine mandate ended on March 7, 2022. The program required employees and customers of indoor dining, fitness, and entertainment venues to prove they were vaccinated.

Businesses previously covered by Key to NYC rules can still require proof of vaccination or masking indoors if they choose.

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene workplace vaccine mandate (separate from Key to NYC) for all private businesses in New York City remains in effect. Employees covered by this mandate are required to show their employers proof that they received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by December 27, 2021. Proof of a second dose (for Pfizer or Moderna vaccines) is required 45 days later.

Reasonable accommodation requests must have been submitted to employers by December 27. Employees may continue working while accommodations are being processed.

Employers must:

• Post an official DOHMH sign in an obvious spot
• Keep a record of each worker’s proof and any reasonable accommodations
• Ensure employees get their second dose

Learn more about the mandate.

Business owners can access resources and assistance from Small Business Services (SBS) on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Businesses page.

Public Schools

At this time, there is no general vaccine mandate for students ages 5 or older attending public school. However, vaccination is required for students ages 5 and up participating in high-risk sports and extracurricular activities.

All DOE employees and City contracted child care/after-school staff were also required to submit proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by October 1, 2021. Learn more on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Schools page.

Private Schools

All employees at private schools, including yeshivas and Catholic schools, are required to show proof they received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by December 20, 2021. At this time there is no vaccine mandate for students attending private schools.

Learn more on the Private School Vaccine Mandate page.

City Workers

To learn about mandates for City government workers, visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and City Workers page.

Healthcare Workers

In New York State, all healthcare workers. including staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities that are public or private, were required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as of September 27, 2021.

These facilities include: 

• Adult care 
• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Other congregate care settings

The State Department of Health requires these facilities to develop and implement a policy mandating employee vaccination, with limited exceptions for those with religious or medical reasons.

You should contact your employer’s human resources department for more information.

Office of Mental Health and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities

Staff were required to show proof of at least the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine series as of November 1, 2021. There is no test-out option.

State Court System

All NY State court system workers were required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or be tested weekly for COVID-19 as of September 1, 2021.

Learn more about the vaccine mandate.

The City has issued public health social distancing and face covering rules to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Learn more on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health and Safety page.

Complaints

Learn how to report lack of face coverings or social distancing on the following pages:

• Social Distancing or Face Covering Complaint for government offices and buses and subways
• School COVID-19 Health and Safety Complaint for public, private, or charter schools
• Homeless Shelter Complaint for homeless shelters

COVID-19 is currently impacting many government offices and non-emergency services. Although the City is still available for essential services, many government offices are closed or offering limited in-person assistance.

We encourage you to:

• Use an Agency’s online services
• Contact them through their website, by email, or by phone
• Check their website for the latest service updates

Visit the following pages to learn about closures or service changes for:

• Adult Protective Services
• Beaches
• Birth Certificates
• Child Support
• ​Court
• Department of Finance Business Centers
• Department of Health Clinics:
  • Adult Vaccination and Immunization
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Tuberculosis
• Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• Department of Transportation Permits and Customer Service:
  • City Parking Permit for People with Disabilities
  • Parking Permit
• Elections and Voting
• Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card for SNAP and Cash Assistance
• Fair Fares NYC
• Family Justice Centers
• Funeral Financial Assistance
• Health Insurance for People with Disabilities
• Health Insurance for Seniors
• HIV and AIDS Services
• Home Care
• Housing Court for Tenants and Landlords
• IDNYC Municipal ID Card
• Immigration and Citizenship
• Inmate Visit
• Jury Duty
• Libraries
• Marriage License
• Medicaid
• NYC Ferry
• Parks
• Public Assistance or Welfare
• Schools
• Senior Centers
• SNAP (Food Stamp) Centers
• Social Security Offices

City Worker Return to Office

City government employees began to return to offices on May 3. Each Agency developed a "Return to Office Plan" to bring workers back safely, approved by the Mayoral Restart Taskforce.

Learn more on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and City Workers page.

Visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Schools page for the latest information, including:

• Vaccine mandates
• Health and safety precautions
• Mandatory in-school COVID-19 testing
• Quarantine protocols

Visit the School Calendar and Closures page for a list of school holidays and key dates.

Visit the School COVID-19 Health and Safety Complaint page to report a school not following COVID-19 health and safety rules.

Visit the School Reopening Policy Complaint page to submit a complaint or concern about New York City's public school reopening policy.

Nursing homes should implement policies to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, including screening and visitation limitations.

Learn more and report a problem with a nursing home on the Nursing Home Complaint page.

Child care centers must follow strict safety guidelines. The Department of Health will inspect programs to verify compliance.

Learn more on the Child Care page.

Contact your child care provider for more information about reopening.

Get the latest information about MTA service and rider health and safety rules on:

• Buses and Subways
• Long Island Rail Road
• Metro-North Railroad
• PATH Trains

As of June 25, 2021, the New York State Travel Advisory is no longer in effect. Travelers arriving in New York are no longer required to submit traveler health forms.

All travelers, domestic and international, should continue to follow all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel requirements.

Learn more on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health and Safety page.