NYC health officials recommend masks indoors amid 'high levels' of COVID spread
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City public health officials recommend residents to return to indoor mask-wearing, noting how they’re seeing “high levels” of COVID-19 infection.
To help slow the spread, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recommended in a tweet posted Friday that “all New Yorkers should wear a high-quality mask, such as an N95, KN95 or KF94 in all public indoor settings and around crowds outside.”
Omicron remains the dominant variant in New York City and the BA.5 and BA.2.12.1 sublineages account for most of the current cases in the city, according to the department. The coronavirus positivity rate is around 14% on average in New York City.
BA.5 now makes up more than half of the coronavirus cases in the United States, according to the CDC. It has shown an increased ability to evade the protection from vaccines and previous infections, The Hill reported.
Health experts still advocate for vaccines as the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. The vaccines are available for everyone age 5 and older. Booster shots are available for everyone 12 and older.