New York’s private business COVID-19 vaccine and school masking mandates will be lifted soon, the city’s mayor has said. However, Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, still isn’t rescinding the mandate that forces workers to get vaccinated, as New York continues to be the most reluctant locale in the nation in rolling back rules imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said on Feb. 27 that the state is dropping its school mask mandate, citing how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has abruptly and drastically changed a key measure influencing mask mandates across the country. “Given the decline in our rates, our hospitalizations, strong vaccination rates, and the CDC guidance, my friends, the day has come,” Hochul told a briefing. Adams then issued a Feb. 27 statement saying that he would soon follow suit. “If we see no unforeseen spikes and our numbers continue to …