Authorities in New York State are asking people to cover their faces when in crowded public spaces.
Meanwhile, in New York City, authorities said Wednesday they will create an emergency food reserve as the mayor asked to be cautious about reviving the economy.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that state residents will have to wear protective masks when leaving their homes and around others, whether on busy streets, public transportation, and any situation where people cannot keep a distance of two meters.
The state order is similar to recommendations already in effect in New York City and will go into effect on Friday.
“Stopping the spread of the virus is everything,” Cuomo said in his daily session with the press. He added that initially there will be no civil penalties for non-compliance, but asked merchants to implement the regulation among their customers.
Although COVID-19 hospitalizations are stabilizing, authorities in New York are trying to reduce transmissions as deaths are on the rise. New York recorded 752 deaths Tuesday, for a total of more than 11,000 in just over a month.
Cuomo’s announcement comes hours after New York Mayor Bill de Blasio asked businesses to ask customers to wear face masks to protect the same employees from contagion.
De Blasio also announced a food aid plan.
In a city where 1.2 million residents already occasionally went to work to feed themselves, the number is expected to rise as nearly half a million New Yorkers have lost their jobs or could lose them in the near future.
“We will make sure that everyone gets the food they need,” De Blasio said in announcing a $ 170 million relief plan.
The city is already distributing 250,000 free meals a day in schools and 25,000 for seniors. Authorities expect to provide 10 million free meals in April and the need to increase to 15 million in May.
Regarding the economy of the city, battered by the outbreak, de Blasio said leaders must carefully deliberate ways to revive it.
“I desperately want to restart the economy … but the best way to do it is carefully,” he added, warning that doing so quickly could create an opportunity for the virus to return.
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