NEW YORK (1010 WINS/ WCBS 880 NEWS) – New York City's health and hospital system resumed its mask mandate across 11 city hospitals on Wednesday, in response to the rising cases of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
The mandate also applies for all health clinics and nursing homes run by NYC Health + Hospitals.
Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan clarified that the mask requirement applies to both patients and staff within locations where patients are being treated.
This comes as an increasing number of people report symptoms such as colds and coughs, and the patient count in these facilities continues to rise.
Despite the uptick in cases, Vasan assured that none of the healthcare facilities are currently overwhelmed.
In addition to the mask mandate, Vasan emphasized the importance of personal responsibility in controlling the spread of illness.
He advised people who are sick to stay home so as to not spread anything to anyone else.
