Adams expected to announce his own mask ban — with jail time for repeat offenders

Mayor Eric Adams wants to bypass Albany and create New York City’s own mask ban that would come with jail time for repeat offenders, The Post has learned.

The potential mask ban – which comes during a growing push by many conservatives and Jewish groups to crack down on menacing masked anti-Israel protesters – is expected to be announced as soon as Wednesday, sources said.

Many details remain unclear, but a City Hall source said Adams will propose a ban that would make violations a misdemeanor – a move that wouldn’t require approval from Empire State lawmakers, who already passed a watered-down mask restriction in the state’s recent budget.

But the ban — which is being pushed by First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro — has left others in Adams’ administration and across the hall in the City Council scratching their heads on how it could even get done.

“There is already legislation addressing this issue that the mayor had absolutely nothing to do with,” one council source said. “Now, instead of engaging the council like a competent leader would, he’s floating a new proposal with no sponsor, no support, and no path forward.”

The source continued to vent, accusing Adams of trying to drum up good press for his uphill re-election campaign.

“Even members who were once willing to work with him have lost patience,” the source said. “This is just another headline-chasing move from a mayor who has failed to govern effectively for 3.5 years—and it’s not going to save him from polling dead last.”

Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) has already introduced a mask ban bill that prohibits wearing ski masks in public places and school and child care program premises.

Violations under Ariola’s bill would be punished by $250 fines, not jail time.

Ariola was not pleased by Adams’ mask ban push.

“If Mayor Adams really cared about a mask ban, he would have stood with us when the protests were raging last summer and we first drafted this legislation,” she said.

“Instead, and despite our conversations with Deputy Mayor Mastro, the bill languished in the Council. But now that that Mayor needs a headline, he’s hijacking my bill and slapping his name on it. If he can’t run on his own ideas, I guess he’s hoping to run on mine.”

The Adams administration didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.