Johnson City, N.Y. — New York will adopt the new guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention on when to wear masks to guard against the spread of Covid-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today.
The CDC announced new mask guidance earlier on Tuesday. Cuomo said New York will follow the agency’s guidelines during a press conference in Johnson City.
The new guidance says people do not have to wear masks outdoors when they walk, bike or run alone or with members of their household, whether they are fully vaccinated or not, according to The Associated Press. People can also go without masks in small outdoor gatherings with fully vaccinated people.
Unvaccinated people should wear masks at outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people. They should also keep using masks at outdoor restaurants, AP said. Those who are fully vaccinated do not need masks in those situations
Everyone should keep wearing masks at crowded outdoor events such as concerts or sporting events, the CDC says, according to AP.
The agency also still recommends masks at indoor public spaces, including hair salons, restaurants, shopping centers, museums and movie theaters, AP said.
Covid cases, hospitalizations drop
The number of new Covid cases in New York fell below 3,000 on Monday for the first time since early November. The state confirmed 2,704 new cases and reported another 103,675 test results
Covid hospitalizations rose 10 yesterday to 3,184, but are still down 689 over the last week. A total of 728 people were in New York intensive care units with the coronavirus, down one, and 461 were intubated, up seven.
Both hospitalizations and new cases started dropping again in recent weeks after an extended plateau earlier in the year, although they remain far higher than they were at their lowest points of the pandemic last summer and in the early fall.
Another 26 people in New York died due to Covid on Monday. That’s the lowest single-day death total in months.
“We’re making progress,” Cuomo said. “But Covid is still dangerous. People will die today from Covid. Remember, this is still a serious threat.”
The statewide death toll is now 41,875.
The statewide percentage of people testing positive for the virus on Monday was 2.61% and the positive test rate’s seven-day average was 2.06%. That’s the lowest seven-day average positive rate since Nov. 7, according to Cuomo’s office.
In Central New York, the positive test rate’s seven-day average dropped to 1.26%, down from 1.28% the day before.
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