One of the main nurses unions in New York, NYSNA, criticized on Friday the decision of state authorities to lift the obligation to wear a mask in public spaces for fully vaccinated people, which came into effect this week.
“The New York State Nurses Association continues to strongly support the mandatory mask use policy, especially in places where social distancing cannot be guaranteed and when it cannot be determined whether an individual has been fully vaccinated.” the union said in a statement.
For nurses, the mandatory use of the mask, compared to voluntary use, protects the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, people with previous medical conditions and people discriminated against for racial reasons.
“Mandatory mask use in public places appears to be an effective, fair and socially responsible solution to curb airborne virus transmission, (while) voluntary mask use policies may have yet unknown behavioral and social consequences related to with the effectiveness of the measure “, underlines the note.
In addition, they argue that the voluntary use of the mask can result in those who decide to wear it “are judged as people belonging to a risk group.”
“Since high compliance is needed for the effectiveness of infection control, public policies that encourage or enforce the use of masks must be implemented,” concludes the text published today by the NYSNA.
Starting this Wednesday, fully vaccinated New Yorkers can choose not to cover their nose and mouth in most public places, with the exception of transportation, hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities.
Authorities took this step after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guide on masks and social distancing.
On May 13, the director of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, assured that “everyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large and small, without having to wear a mask or keep a physical distance. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things you stopped doing because of the pandemic. “
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