Coronavirus (COVID-19) and City Life

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Recently, a new coronavirus called COVID-19 was detected in New York City. This virus can cause a range of illnesses, from the common cold to pneumonia.

You can get information and resources to stay healthy and informed during the pandemic.

Text Updates

Text COVID to 692-692 to get the latest updates from Notify NYC.

Text COVIDESP to 692-692 to get the same updates in Spanish.

NY State's Health Guidance

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.

Vaccine Mandates

Businesses

The Key to NYC program requires employees and customers 12 and older to prove they are vaccinated before entering businesses conducting the following activities:

  • Indoor dining
  • Indoor fitness
  • Indoor entertainment

Starting on December 14, the mandate will expand to include children ages 5-11.

Learn more by visiting the following pages:

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 12 and up participating in high-risk sports and extracurricular activities. Starting on December 14, this mandate will expand to include students ages 5 to 11.

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. 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.

City Workers

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

Private Sector Workers

All employees at private businesses in New York City are required to show proof they received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by December 27, 2021

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.

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 will be required to show proof of at least the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine series by November 1, without a 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.

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

City government employees can report agencies that are not following Return to Work guidelines for social distancing or face coverings on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and City Workers page.

Vaccine Mandate

Businesses

The Key to NYC program requires employees and customers 12 and older to prove they are vaccinated before entering businesses conducting the following activities:

  • Indoor dining
  • Indoor fitness
  • Indoor entertainment

Starting on December 14, the mandate will expand to include children ages 5-11.

Learn more by visiting the following pages:

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 12 and up participating in high-risk sports and extracurricular activities. Starting on December 14, this mandate will expand to include students ages 5 to 11.

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. 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.

City Workers

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

Private Sector Workers

All employees at private businesses in New York City are required to show proof they received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by December 27, 2021

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.

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 will be required to show proof of at least the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine series by November 1, without a 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.

Learn more about the vaccine mandate.

Public Parks

New York City parks and playgrounds are open, but some other facilities and spaces are closed. For a list of closures, visit the Parks page.

Open Restaurants

The Open Restaurants program aims to expand outdoor seating options for restaurants and bars. Bar and restaurant owners may apply to place outdoor seating in front of their food establishments on the sidewalk or roadway.

Learn more on the Open Restaurants page.

Open Streets

The Open Streets program closes streets to vehicle traffic to make it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to stay active while maintaining social distancing.

Open Streets are available daily from 8 AM to 8 PM (unless otherwise noted).

Learn more on the Open Streets page.

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:

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:

    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.

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