The New York Department of Health is now recommending that Big Apple residents wear two face masks instead of one to combat the spread of COVID-19.
“We know that even if the vaccine is here, the need to continue wearing a mask is paramount, it is crucial. It’s amazing how all the things we’ve learned in this crisis, perhaps the deepest, are the power of a mask, “said Mayor Bill de Blasio at a City Hall press briefing on Thursday, while the new mask guidance has been announced.
“Even one of these paper masks makes a huge difference, but what we’re saying today is time to double down,” Hizzoner said.
“Two masks are better than one. Do a double. ”
The new face-to-face guidance from the city’s Department of Health comes after the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidelines, saying adding more layers of material to a mask “is a good way to reduce the number.” of respiratory drops containing the virus that comes through the mask. ”
“A stratification strategy is to use a cloth mask that has several layers of fabric. Another strategy is to wear two masks or a “double mask,” says the CDC.
The city’s health commissioner, Dr. Dave Chokshi, said that double-mask guidance of the department is based on CDC guidance.
“The most important thing remains – wearing a face that covers consistently and correctly, so that it covers both your nose and mouth and you wear it both inside and out,” Chokshi said on Thursday. while talking with de Blasio.
But, Chokshi added, “Using two masks is more effective in stopping the spread of the virus.”
Chokshi said people should wear a cloth mask over a disposable mask when folding – rather than wearing two disposable masks.
“Two of the disposable masks will not improve the fit,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Chokshi suggested that those 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% over an average of seven days.
These data also show that 262 people were hospitalized on Tuesday in city hospitals suspected of COVID-19 and 57 percent of them tested positive for error.
According to the data, the seven-day average number of new virus cases was 3,216.