The New York City health department now recommends that residents of the Big Apple wear two face masks instead of one to fight back against the spread of COVID-19.
“We know that even when the vaccine is here, the need to keep wearing a mask is paramount, it’s crucial. It’s amazing how all the things we’ve learned in this crisis, perhaps the most profound, is the power of a mask, ”Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference at City Hall on Thursday when the new mask accompaniment was announced.
“Even one of these paper masks makes a huge difference, but what we’re saying today is time to double down,” said Hizzoner.
“Two masks are better than one. Make a double of it. “
The new face-covering guideline from the city’s Department of Health comes after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated their own guidelines, saying adding more layers of material to a mask “is a good way to reduce the number of reduce respiratory droplets. with the virus coming through the mask. “
“One strategy for layering is to use a fabric mask with multiple layers of fabric. Another strategy is to wear two masks or a ‘double mask’, ”says the CDC.
City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said it the double mask guidance of the department is based on the guidelines of the CDC.
“The most important thing remains – consistently and correctly wearing a face cover so that it covers both your nose and mouth and you wear it both indoors and out,” Chokshi said on Thursday, speaking alongside de Blasio.
However, Chokshi added, “Using two masks is more effective in stopping the spread of the virus.”
Chokshi said that when doubling, people should wear a cloth mask over a disposable mask – instead of putting on two disposable masks.
“Two of the disposable masks will not improve the fit,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Chokshi suggested that people aged 65 and over and those with underlying conditions should ‘consider’ using a high-quality face mask such as a KN95.
The latest city data shows that the Big Apple has a coronavirus positivity rate of 7.17 percent on a seven-day moving average.
That data also shows that on Tuesday, 262 people with suspicion of COVID-19 were admitted to city hospitals and 57 percent of them tested positive for the bug.
According to the data, the seven-day moving average of new virus cases in the city was 3,216.