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“We want to strongly recommend that people wear masks in indoor settings even if you’re vaccinated,” de Blasio said. “If you don’t know the people around, if you’re not sure if they’re vaccinated or not, or if you know some are unvaccinated, it’s absolutely crucial to wear a mask even if you are vaccinated.” He did not require them, however.
Already, New York City requires vaccinated people to wear masks on public transit, in hospitals and in schools.
De Blasio’s decision not to reissue a mask mandate reflects the waning power of the CDC’s guidance at this point in the pandemic.
In recent weeks, the mayor has emphasized the importance of vaccinating as many people as possible and downplayed the use of masks, saying vaccines are “the whole ball game.”
“Masks can be helpful, we are going to delineate to New Yorkers the best way to use masks, but they don’t change the basic reality. Vaccination does,” he told CNN’s Poppy Harlow on Friday.
The mayor also announced Monday that every new employee for the city of New York will be required to prove they are vaccinated before they can begin work.