New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered all residents that they must now wear masks or face coverings in public if they cannot stay 6ft apart as part of his 'blueprint' in reopening the economy which is based on how essential a shuttered business is and how successfully it can keep employees part.
Cuomo signed the order regarding masks and face coverings on Wednesday and said people would receive civil violations if they do not comply.
It will apply in any public space where social distancing is 'impossible', including in grocery stores, on public transport and on busy streets.
Your right to go out for a walk in the park? Fine. Don't infect me. You don't have a right to infect me. If you're going to be in a situation in public where you may come into contact with other people and a situation, that is not socially distanced, you must have a mask or a cloth covering nose and mouth. That is by executive order,' he said.
He later clarified that a person should go out with their mask and be prepared to pull it up over their nose and mouth if they come within 6ft of someone, but that they can leave it down, around their chin, if they do not.
He is not yet imposing fines but says he has not ruled it out. People will be given a three day compliance period from now in order to get one, he added.
Cuomo's 'blueprint' will involve reopening businesses based on how essential they are and how they can ensure that they will maintain social distancing among employees.
He says that the crisis will not be '100 percent' over until a vaccine has been created which will take 12-18 months but that in the meantime, testing and tracing and then a treatment will allow people to get back to some sense of normalcy sooner.
Deaths increased by 752 on Tuesday which brings the state's total to 11,586.
That number however does not include the some 3,000 that were added to New York City's death toll because officials are now counting people who died without ever testing positive for COVID-19 but who medics fear had the virus.