New York City Recommends Mask-Wearing in Indoor Settings amid Rise in Respiratory Illnesses
New York City on Friday recommended that residents wear masks at all times in public indoor settings, regardless of their vaccination status.
The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued the advisory in response to an increase in respiratory viral illnesses, including Covid-19, flu, and RSV.
The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island are in orange or “high-risk” level on the Centers for Disease Control’s Covid-19 scale, while Manhattan is in yellow or “medium-risk” level.
“Wear a high-quality mask, such as a KN95 or KF94 or an N95 respirator, for additional protection,” city health officials said.
“While respiratory viruses are spreading at high levels in NYC, there are common-sense ways to protect yourself and your loved ones this holiday season: vaccination, boosters, wearing a mask indoors or among crowds and staying home if you don’t feel well,” New York City health commissioner Ashwin Vasan said in a tweet.
The department also recommended that people wear masks in situations where a sick person is unable to separate from others and that individuals at high risk of developing severe illness should consider avoiding large indoor gatherings.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County might reimpose a mask mandate soon, as the county has hit one of two criteria recommended by the CDC for a mask mandate — a high hospital admission rate — according to the Los Angeles Times. The county could institute a mandate if 10 percent of staffed hospital beds are filled with Covid-19 patients and if the Covid-19 level remains the same or rises for two weeks. The county has not had a mask mandate in effect since March.
“We are seeing a rapid acceleration again,” said L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer. “This is the time to put that mask back on.”
