A sort of miracle is materializing in the distance. The pandemic siege appears to be lifting, and this time a full return to schools across the nation, while perhaps months away, is almost certainly not a mirage.

Published reports from the Centers for Disease Control suggest that the vaccines are doing their slow, steady work. Gov. Ned Lamont announced today that all public health restrictions due to the pandemic will be lifted on May 19, if improvements in vaccination rates continue.

The mask mandate will remain in place until further notice, but Lamont said at the Monday news briefing that at some point it will be up to individuals and institutions to determine if wearing masks is required.

Connecticut has been hovering for weeks at about 1,000 positive tests for COVID-19 a day. The state reached the milestone of 8,000 deaths from COVID-19 over the weekend. At the same time, the number of state residents who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 increases by about 10% each week, said the state’s chief operating officer, Josh Geballe. As of Monday, 61% of adults over the age of 18 had received at least one shot, Lamont said. At the current trajectory, we’ll be at 70% by the end of the month.

The mask mandate will likely continue in the state’s elementary, middle, and high schools through the end of the school year in June, and in crowded public places, Lamont said. But students returning to state-run colleges and universities this fall probably will not face a vaccination requirement, he said.