New York will mandate that people wear a mask in public starting Friday. Governor Andrew Cuomo says his executive order relies on voluntary compliance. This comes as the coronavirus curve hints downward, but another 752 New Yorkers have died of the pandemic.
Governor Cuomo says the new rule will apply to people who can’t maintain 6 feet social distance. It’s aimed at those on public transit or passing on a busy sidewalk.
“If no one—if people don’t follow it, we could do a civil penalty. You’re not going to jail for not wearing your mask.”
Cuomo, who leads a seven-state compact, also described a staged phase-in for allowing businesses to reopen. He says companies will be classified by “how essential they are” and the risk they pose in spreading the virus. He says reopening could be reversed if the infection rate rises.
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