New York City, once the pandemic epicenter, rolls back its COVID-19 restrictions

New York City has become the latest and largest city in the U.S. to announce it's dropping most of its COVID-19 restrictions as the Omicron surge continues to wind down. Starting Monday, businesses will no longer be required to ask for vaccination cards, and masks will no longer be mandated in public schools for children ages 5 and older.

"We have to get our economy back on track," Mayor Eric Adams said on Friday.

The city, which was once considered the epicenter of the pandemic, now has a positivity rate of only 1.6% over a 7-day average.