New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered all residents that they must now wear masks or face coverings in public if they cannot stay 6ft apart as part of his ‘blueprint’ in reopening the economy which is to determine how essential a business is and then how it an ensure employees stay 6ft apart.
Cuomo signed the order regarding masks and face coverings on Wednesday and said people would receive civil violations if they do not comply. It will apply in any public space where social distancing is ‘impossible’, including in grocery stores, on public transport and on busy streets.
It came as the number of new hospitalizations dropped to a record low. The current number of people hospitalized is 18, 335 – a decrease of 362 since Monday which is the biggest drop since March 16.
Cuomo did not give a time frame for his reopening plan and he did not give any examples of how he will decide which businesses are more essential than others.
It will hinge on the federal government giving funding for diagnostic and antibody tests which he said he would have to happen at the same time as the reopening.
It remains unclear though if employees will have to first do a test before they can go back to work, or if people will be able to go back to work and stay 6ft apart regardless of whether or not they have ever tested positive for COVID-19.
Deaths increased by 752 on Tuesday which brings the state’s total to 11,586. That number however does not include the some 3,000 that were added to New York City’s death toll because officials are now counting people who died without ever testing positive for COVID-19 but who medics fear had the virus.
The face mask rule will not come into effect for another three days, giving people enough warning to buy one or find one.
There is an enormous shortage of medical masks and of face coverings around the city. Cuomo did not suggest where they should buy them.
Gov Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday made it a law that all New Yorkers must wear facemasks or coverings in public
People in New York on Tuesday. If you are within 6ft of another person and are not wearing a covering or mask, you now face a civic violation
‘Your right to go out for a walk in the park? Fine.
‘Don’t infect me. You don’t have a right to infect me. If you’re going to be in a situation in public where you may come into contact with other people and a situation, that is not socially distanced, you must have a mask or a cloth covering nose and mouth. That is by executive order,’ he said.
He later clarified that a person should go out with their mask and be prepared to pull it up over their nose and mouth if they come within 6ft of someone, but that they can leave it down, around their chin, if they do not.
‘You wear a mask keep, it below your chin then when you’re running, if you see someone, either run across the street or pull it up above your nose and mouth.
‘Have it with you and if you don’t see anyone, great. If you’re on a walk in the woods and here comes John Campbell, then you have to put your mask up,’ he said.
He added that it was ‘not a big deal’ and that companies should see the opportunity in branding or advertising on them.
‘When you think about, look, everybody’s working so hard to stop the spread of the disease. Wear the mask – whats the big deal?’
He is not yet imposing fines but says he has not ruled it out. People will be given a three day compliance period from now in order to get one, he added.
He says that the crisis will not be ‘100 percent’ over until a vaccine has been created which will take 12-18 months but that in the meantime, testing and tracing and then a treatment will allow people to get back to some sense of normalcy sooner.
Of the 752 new deaths reported by Cuomo, 707, were in hospitals and 45 were in nursing homes. The hospitalization rate, ICU admission and intubation rate continues to drop.
‘We have a blueprint for the reopening as guided by testing, tracing but there are two factors; how essential is the business service or product or function, the more essential a business service or product, the more urgent the need to immediately get them back on line.
‘Second, what is the risk of infection spread of that business.
‘Some can say, “I can open tomorrow in my business, I’ll have all sorts of precautions. People will not be less than 6ft apart, there will be no congregation, I won’t do conferences or meetings, I can bring them back put them at separated desks… businesses can start to redesign their work place to start to think that way. That’s the second factor.
‘The lower risk of infection risk and higher nature of essential services are the businesses you would start prioritizing.
‘That’s how we will inform our economic reopening, as we’re being guided by the testing tracing, and as we’re making sure we’re not jeopardizing the success we’ve made in handling the public health issue.
‘That’s the whole outline from here until 18 months – building that bridge to the new normal for the economy until we get to a conclusion,’ he said.
The current list of essential businesses includes healthcare, transit, grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants if they only do take-out and delivery. There are other exceptions like news organizations and internet providers.