Governor Andrew Cuomo urged President Donald Trump to sign an executive order requiring people to wear a mask while in public to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“Let the president have the same sense and do it as an executive order,” he said. “Let the president lead by executive order and put a mask on it.”
The state’s infection rate continues to be less than 1%, according to Cuomo, who gave another update on Monday in New York City.
Cuomo expressed concern about the way the virus would spread in the coming weeks, pointing out that high infection rates in other states has made progress difficult to maintain. He signed an executive order last week mandating a 14-day quarantine for those who left the state and returned.
“New York is a hub,” Cuomo added on Monday. “If other states have a high infection rate, the probability is they are going to wind up infecting New York.”
Cuomo is considering slowing the phased reopening in New York City due to significant violations of social distancing and mask wearing.
He also said there was no timeline on how schools would reopen in the fall. Parents are bracing for the prospect of part-time schedules, which combine distance and in-person learning. For families with multiple, working parents – it’s a move that could cause significant challenges.
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