Is NYC ready to move on from COVID? Depends on who you ask

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and DEEPTI HAJELA
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — An important milestone in New York City’s progress against COVID-19 could soon arrive when Mayor Eric Adams lifts mask mandates in schools and vaccination requirements in restaurants, bars and theaters. The mayor says a decision could come as soon as Friday — a long-awaited development in a city that was once the epicenter of a deadly pandemic. While infections, hospitalizations and deaths continue, the move by Adams could signal a turning point in the pandemic by firmly shifting the focus on recovery and a return to normalcy. But it’s still an open question if New Yorkers are psychologically ready.