Mayor Says He Does Not Support New Mask Mandate, but Rather, More Vaccinations

     The Delta variant of COVID accounts for more than 69% of all COVID cases in New York City, said the city’s Health Commissioner David A Chokshi, MD, this morning, however, instead of re-creating a mask mandate that extends beyond its current protocols on public transit, schools, healthcare facilities, and other crowded settings, Dr. Chokshi and Mayor Bill de Blasio emphasized the need to vaccinate all New Yorkers.

     “Do you support any order for mandatory mask-wearing indoors and outdoors in New York City?” one reporter asked Mayor de Blasio this morning at his press conference.

     “No,” answered the mayor, who like Dr. Chokshi, also emphasized the necessity for New Yorkers to all get vaccinated as soon as possible.

     “Vaccination is where we are making an impact,” said the mayor, who proudly noted that 4,843,335 New Yorkers, or 58% of residents of New York City have so far, gotten at least one shot. “[Vaccination] is what actually stops COVID.

     “Masks have value, but masks are not going at the root of the problem. Vaccination is. So, we do not intend to make a new mask mandate. We do intend to double-down on vaccination.”

     “The Delta variant is concerning, as we have talked about in previous days and weeks,” explained Dr. Chokshi. “Our concern is primarily is for people who remain unvaccinated, which is why the single most important thing we can do to keep individuals, as well as our communities, our city safe, is to get as many people vaccinated as possible. 

     “The key to our getting out of this pandemic is vaccination.”

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.