NYC Employees Mandated To Cover Faces Amid Coronavirus Spread

NEW YORK CITY — Starting Monday, all city employees will be required to cover their faces while interacting with the public amid the pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The city has already distributed 1.4 million face coverings to municipal workers and will continue providing the protective gear to any worker who needs one, the mayor's office said Sunday.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo built on the mayor's announcement Sunday with an executive order directing all essential workers to wear cloth or surgical face masks when they interact with the public.

As of April 2, city officials have recommended that all New Yorkers cover their faces when they go outside to protect themselves and others from the spread of the new coronavirus.

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BREAKING: @NYCMayor announces as of tomorrow, April 13, ALL city workers who come into contact with the public while on duty must wear a mask or some sort of face covering. https://t.co/VAnL3tpjTV
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) April 12, 2020

Facial coverings should cover the mouth and nose, and they can be reused as long as they remain dry, NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot has said. They should not be shared with others, and they should be cleaned with soap and water before they are worn again.

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