Sources - Increasing hope that New York City vaccine mandate will be rolled back soon

The progress toward further changes to New York City's private-sector vaccine mandate has inspired confidence that Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving could be back on the court for home games at the Barclays Center in the near future, and that New York Yankees and Mets players who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine would be cleared to play at home prior to Opening Day in April, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

New York Mayor Eric Adams' office has been working with health officials on a plan that would impact more people, not only unvaccinated, high-profile professional athletes in the area, sources said, and although no final decision has been made, there's increasing hope that a rollback of the mandate that restricts NBA and MLB players from participating in home games will be lifted in the near future.

Adams said Tuesday that «baseball, basketball, businesses… they have to wait until that layer comes,» but sources believe a plan is progressing that could have Irving on the court as soon as next week, sources said.

The Yankees' home opener is April 7, the NBA play-in tournament begins on April 12 and the Mets' home opener is April 15.

The Nets, Yankees and Mets are awaiting the rollback of the private-employer mandate, which doesn't allow employees to work in the office — or players to play for their teams — without vaccination against COVID-19. Irving, who has repeatedly made it clear that he has no intention of getting vaccinated, has been unable to participate in games in New York City this season because of the mandate. Unvaccinated players on road teams have been allowed to play in NBA games in New York and could participate in baseball games as well.

Because MLB has the lowest vaccination rate of the four major