New Yorkers must wear masks when unable to socially distance, Gov. Cuomo
(CNN)New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sign an executive order that requires everyone in the state to wear a mask or a mouth/nose covering in public when not social distancing, he said Wednesday.
There will be a three-day notice period before the order is enforced, allowing New Yorkers to secure masks or coverings. He said he is considering a civil penalty for those who break the rule.
The decision was announced as Cuomo said that another 752 people died from coronavirus on Tuesday, a slight decrease from the previous day and further evidence that New York has reached a plateau in its outbreak. Hospitalizations — both the net change and the three-day average — as well as admissions to the intensive care unit and intubations across New York are down, he said.
“You see the flattening of the curve,” Cuomo said. “We’re not out of the woods … but we can control the spread.”
New York remains the epicenter of the American coronavirus outbreak and, with over 200,000 cases, accounts for about one-third of the country’s cases. More than 11,500 people have died from coronavirus in the state.
