NYC Mayor ‘Strongly’ Recommends Masks, Stopping Short of Mandate

(Bloomberg) -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he is “strongly” recommending that even those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 wear masks indoors, stopping short of mandating such face coverings.

The mayor’s suggestion Monday comes as the nation deals with a new wave of coronavirus cases as the delta variant races through the unvaccinated community. De Blasio said he was following the mask recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The mayor has focused heavily on the vaccination effort as a way to fight the surge and said newly hired city workers will now have to be vaccinated before they can start on the job.

“The biggest consideration is the interplay with vaccination,” de Blasio says. “Masking is not a substitute for vaccination. It’s really strategic. It’s about keeping the focus on vaccination.”

Dr. David Chokshi, New York City’s health commissioner, said the majority of coronavirus cases are from unvaccinated residents but there has been some transmission among those who have been inoculated.

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