New York, New York - New York City Mayor Eric Adam's office announced on Thursday that the mask mandate for children ages two to four will be lifted next week.

Mayor Adams explained in a statement that starting Monday, June 13, masks will be optional for students and staff in all early childhood education settings.

"I have always said that the science will guide us out of the pandemic, and because we have followed the data, which shows that cases are steadily falling, we've beaten back the latest Covid-19 surge," Adams said.

The city lifted mandates for kindergarten through 12th grade in March, but decided to leave them in place for younger children because they are ineligible for Covid-19 vaccination.

The mayor received backlash for the decision, and a group of parents sued the city, arguing that masks were causing developmental issues in young children, despite there being no conclusive evidence to the claim.

As mandate rollbacks continue, Adams would "still strongly recommend that New Yorkers of all ages continue to wear masks indoors."

"I'm with New York City parents and New Yorkers can trust this administration to continue to make the proper public health decisions to keep our kids safe," Adams concluded.