Start Off 2022 Right by Remembering to Wear a Mask Indoors

New York heads into 2022 much like it headed into 2021: nervous about the coronavirus. On New Year’s Eve, Governor Hochul extended the state’s indoor-mask mandate through February 1 — meaning any business must either check vaccination status or require face masks indoors for all patrons. 

The mandate was set to expire on January 15, but, with the Omicron variant leading to record-breaking caseloads in the state and across the country, the extra protection was needed, with hopes the surge will peak and level out before Groundhog Day. The good news is that this is not 2021: We have vaccines and booster shots, and infections among vaccinated New Yorkers from the variant appear to be mild. 

That said, a Covid infection is still a Covid infection, and every case knocks a New Yorker out of regular life and into quarantine for a week or so. Now is a good time to remember: You should still wear a mask when indoors, whether it’s a quick jaunt to the bodega or a long browse at the bookstore, a day at the museum or a commute on the subway. Winter is always a prime time for viruses to spread — we love our cozy indoor spaces when the wind is whipping through the streets — so we need to be extra vigilant this winter if we want to keep each other safe. 

City businesses have been rocked by the last wave of infections, with huge loads of workers unable to show up for work. Bars, restaurants and stores have been limiting hours, and the MTA has been forced to run fewer trains due to staff outages. Every infection takes a bite out of the city’s recovery, potentially rips a chunk out of someone’s paycheck and will likely make your day less convenient, especially if you hate waiting 35 minutes for an uptown train. 

So remember to wear your mask going into the new year when you are going inside, because it’s the kind thing to do for your fellow employees at a business, other customers, strangers on the train and all your fellow New Yorkers. Read up on the latest CDC mask guidance here.