ALBANY – Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is signing an order mandating that all New Yorkers wear masks or cloth coverings on their face in situations where social distancing is not possible.
Cuomo said the order will go into effect this weekend to give people time to obtain masks or cloth coverings. There will not be a civil penalty for any violations, but he said he’s hopeful the order will compel people to comply.
The federal government had recently recommended that people wear masks in public settings where social distancing is not possible.
The governor also said businesses should start to redesign their workplaces so that social distancing can be implemented for both employees and clients.
So far, over 14,000 people have died from COVID-19 in just New York State alone – with the vast majority of those deaths coming out of New York City.
The total number of confirmed cases for New York is now over 213,000 – that’s one third of all cases in the United States. Across the country, there’s been 26,700 deaths and another 48,000 of the confirmed cases are listed as recovered.
Also on Wednesday, Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist announced that the city has extended its state of emergency for up to another 30 days. Sundquist says the city Municipal Building will remain closed, public garages will be closed, and there will be no downtown parking enforcement.
In addition, all city playgrounds and basketball courts will also remain closed.
You can get a complete update on the city as it continues to make its way through the COVID-19 crisis when we talk with Sundquist during this week’s Community Matters program – airing at 5 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday, and noon Sunday.
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