New York Mayor: "No Indoor Mask Mandate"... US Adults Reach 70% Vaccination Goal

Indoor Mask Use Recommended Only for Vaccinated
Compared to Mandatory Measures in LA and Washington DC
At Least One Vaccine Dose Rate Surpasses 70%

A COVID-19 testing facility has been set up and is operating in Times Square, New York City.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] New York City has opted to recommend that vaccinated individuals wear masks indoors instead of mandating mask use for all citizens, drawing a clear line against mask mandates.

On the 2nd (local time), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "Even if you are fully vaccinated, I strongly recommend wearing a mask in indoor environments."

This move follows the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strengthening its guidelines to recommend indoor mask-wearing for vaccinated people in areas with high infection rates.

Currently, New York City mandates mask-wearing only in certain facilities such as public transportation and hospitals. Following the mayor's recommendation, there is an increased possibility that masks will need to be worn again in indoor public places such as grocery stores and shopping malls.

However, Mayor de Blasio confirmed that there will be no mask mandate. He drew a line by stating, "There is no plan to mandate masks for vaccinated individuals."

CNN reported that New York City's policy differs from the CDC guidelines, which require masks in areas with substantial COVID-19 spread.

The COVID-19 situation in New York City's five boroughs is assessed as substantial spread requiring mask use. This means breakthrough infections are possible even with high vaccination rates.

According to The New York Times (NYT), the number of new COVID-19 cases in New York State surged from just 328 per day (7-day average) on the 1st of last month to 2,280 on the 1st of this month.

55% of New York City residents are fully vaccinated, higher than the national average of 50%, but there are significant regional disparities. About two-thirds of Manhattan residents are fully vaccinated, while only 46% of Bronx residents have completed vaccination. Last year, COVID-19 cases were concentrated in the Bronx and Queens, areas with many low-income residents.

According to CNN, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo also urged at a press conference that only fully vaccinated individuals should be allowed entry into restaurants and bars.

Governor Cuomo said at the press conference, "I believe allowing only vaccinated people in is in the best interest."

Governor Cuomo issued a vaccine mandate for all employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which operates New York City subways and buses, and the Port Authority, which operates international airports, bridges, tunnels, ports, and bus terminals in the New York and New Jersey area.

Meanwhile, with the spread of the Delta variant, the vaccination rate in the U.S. is on the rise.

The White House announced on the 2nd that 70% of American adults have received at least one vaccine dose. The Biden administration initially aimed to have 70% of adults receive at least one dose by July 4 but failed to meet this goal.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has surpassed 35 million. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases is 35,003,417.