NEW YORK — Because of a winter surge in COVID-19 infections, New York Governor 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 the state’s weekly case rate and its' increasing hospitalizations.
The mask mandate applies to both patrons and staff and will be in effect starting Monday, Dec. 13 and run through Jan. 15, after which the state will reevaluate.
“We’re entering a time of uncertainty and we could either plateau here or our cases could get out of control,” Hochul warned at a public appearance in New York City.
New York joins several states with similar indoor mask mandates, including Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada and Hawaii.
An average of roughly 9,740 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the seven days through Dec. 8 in New York, a 38% increase from the previous seven days, according to The Associated Press’s review of state data.
Upstate New York has accounted for nearly three-fourths of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in hospitals since August.
“We are heading upward in a direction that I no longer find sustainable,” said Hochul.
Hochul announced the mask mandate at a social service agency in on the west side of Manhattan, where most people already wear masks.
New York City already requires vaccinations for indoor restaurant dining, entertainment and gyms, so those venues will be unaffected by the new rule.
Hochul said violators could face civil and criminal penalties, including a max fine of $1,000. Local health departments will be in charge of enforcing the requirements.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.