Second Verse, Same as the First — NY orders mask mandate for indoor public spaces statewide
Evidence be damned, mask mandates are back in fashion.
Facing a winter surge in COVID-19 infections, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday that masks will be required in all indoor public places unless the businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement.
Hochul said the decision to impose a mask mandate was based on state’s weekly seven-day case rate, as well as increasing hospitalizations.
The mask mandate applies to both patrons and staff and will be in effect from Dec. 13 to Jan. 15, after which the state will reevaluate.
Governor Kathy Hochul speaks at Child Mind Institute Child Advocacy Award Dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street on Nov. 16, 2021 in New York City. (Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
“As governor, my two top priorities are to protect the health of New Yorkers and to protect the health of our economy,” Hochul, a Democrat, said in a news release. “The temporary measures I am taking today will help accomplish this through the holiday season.”