New York City Councilor wants mask’s tenure reinstated

NEW YORK – As COVID-19 cases increase in all 50 states, New York City Councilor Mark Levine, who chairs the health committee, calls for the indoor mask’s mandate to be reinstated in the city, even for those vaccinated .

Levine cites the rapid rise in cases in the city for his call to reconcile himself. In a tweet, he said: “Indoor mask use in New York is on the decline – in delis, department stores, subways, movie theaters, etc. We need to reverse this trend.”

He says the city needs to act quickly to slow the Delta version of the coronavirus, as other areas of the United States with similar vaccination rates are seeing an increase in hospitalizations.

NEW YORK’S INFECTION RATE CHANGED

When asked if he would support the reinstatement of the mask’s mandate to fight COVID, Bill de Blasio replied that he would not. The city’s efforts, he added, will be aimed at getting more people vaccinated.

“The masks are not going to the root of the problem. Vaccination is,” de Blasio said at a press conference Monday morning.

Even with readily available vaccines, it has become a pandemic of the unvaccinated. According to the surgeon general, 99.5% of deaths today are among the unvaccinated.

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The Delta variant has resulted in the increase in cases. For the week ending July 3, this variant accounted for 69% of New York City’s new cases, according to data from the Department of Health.

DOZENS OF NYC SUMMER SCHOOL CLASSROOMS CLOSED DUE TO COVID

On Monday, mass vaccination sites at Jones Beach and three sites upstate were closed. Easy access to vaccines in pharmacies and other places reduces the need for large sites, state officials say.

Authorities are urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

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