New York officials support covering face in public

New York state health officials now say they support people wearing cloth face coverings when they go out in public, especially in areas of “significant community transmission.”

The Cuomo administration had previously said it wasn’t clear whether face masks are effective.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already recommends cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, as do New York City officials.

The state’s guidance released Wednesday cites recent studies about the significant number of asymptomatic individuals with COVID-19 who are spreading the virus by even just speaking near others.

(Image Credit: AP)