New York to reintroduce mask mandate for public indoor settings

11 December 2021, 1:00 pm

SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 10: Pedestrians fill the sidewalk as Seattle has become the first major city to reach a 70 percent COVID-19 vaccination rate on June 10, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. As the state is approaching a full economic reopening at the end of June, Seattle has fully vaccinated 70 percent of its approximate 750,000 residents above age 12, making it the most inoculated major city in the United States surpassing San Francisco. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)

The state of New York is set to reintroduce a mask mandate at public indoor venues aimed at battling the winter surge of Covid-19 infections, Governor Kathy Hochul announced.

In her announcement on Friday, Hochul said that masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a Covid-19 vaccine requirement, reports Xinhua news agency.

The mandate will take effect from December 13, 2021 to January 15, 2022 with a reassessment to be done afterwards.

The return of the mask mandate is based on rising Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations in New York.

Since Thanksgiving on November 25, the statewide seven-day average case rate has increased by 43 per cent and hospitalisations by 29 per cent, according to a release by the New York government.

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