New York: Facing a winter surge in Covid-19 infection, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Friday that masks will be asked in all public places in the room unless the business or place apply vaccine needs.
Hochul said the decision to impose a mask mandate was based on the level of the case of seven weekly weekly days, and increased hospitalization.
Mask masks apply to customers and staff and will apply from December 13 to January 15, after that the state will reevaluate the mandate.
“As governor, my two main priorities are to protect New York’s health and to protect our economic health,” Hochul, a Democrat, said in the news release.
“The temporary steps I took today will help finish this through the holiday season.” Some states already have mask masks, including New Mexico, Nevada, Hawaii.
New York recorded more than 68,000 positive tests for the virus in the seven-day period ended December 8.
That’s the most in stretching seven days since early February.
“I have warned for weeks that additional steps can be needed, and now we at that time based on three metrics: increasing cases, reduced hospital capacity, and inadequate vaccination rates in certain regions,” Hochul said.