New Yorkers urged to wear masks as Covid-19 and flu cases surge

NEW YORK: An “unusually high concurrent spike” of virus cases in New York City, including flu and a mix of Covid-19 variants, led health officials on Saturday to strongly recommend that people wear high-quality masks indoors and in crowded outdoor settings.

Dr Ashwin Vasan, the city’s health commissioner, advised New Yorkers to wear a mask at all times in public settings – including in stores, offices, elevators and schools, and on public transportation – even if vaccinated for Covid-19 or the flu.

Masks will remain voluntary in most places, however, except in healthcare facilities such as nursing homes where mask mandates are still enforced. The advisory comes as the rate of new Covid-19 cases in the city has increased by about 55 per cent over the past two weeks, according to data compiled by The New York Times, while the hospitalisation rate has increased by 20 per cent over that time. The city registered a seven-day average of 3,761 new cases on Thursday, up from 2,425 two weeks before. The number of flu cases has also increased, rising 64 per cent during the week ending Dec 3.

The Covid-19 landscape has changed dramatically from this time in 2021, when people cancelled holiday plans and officials instituted interventions as the Omicron variant tore through the city. In 2022, many people in New York and elsewhere have responded with apathy and weariness, instead of fear, to warnings about a new wave of illness.

The vast majority of New Yorkers have been vaccinated, and 40 per cent have received additional booster shots, according to city data. And many people have already been infected.