New York City Mayor Eric Adams wore a mask at an official event on Monday as city officials formally urged people to bring back face coverings due to the high transmission of COVID-19.
Health officials told everyone age 2 and older to consider a mask as the city records 343 cases per 100,000 people and battles a fast-moving omicron lineage known as BA.2.12.1, according to the city health department.
Mr. Adams wore a gray mask as he shook hands with students at the Economic Development Summit in City College of New York’s Great Hall, though took it off while fielding media questions, according to reports.
New York City joins Los Angeles and Philadelphia in strongly recommending masks as cases rise, though hospitalizations aren’t climbing as fast as known infections.
Philadelphia briefly brought back an actual mask mandate but dropped it days later, saying a strong recommendation seemed to work.
“We are not at the point of mandating masks, we are not at that point yet,” Mr. Adams said. “We are not at the point of doing anything other than urging New Yorkers while you are indoors in large settings — social settings — to wear your mask.”
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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