New York City's police department has issued a mask mandate for all its officers, the New York Post reported.
Amid the city's surge in COVID-19 cases, the NYPD is requiring all officers, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear face coverings while on duty, the Post said Monday.
NYPD officers are required to wear masks at all times when dealing with the public — such as while in schools and on public transit, the memo said.
"All members of the service, regardless of vaccination status, who are able to medically tolerate a face covering, are required to wear a face covering that covers their mouth and nose at all times while they are in a shared indoor workspace, except when eating or drinking," the NYPD said in a department-wide email Sunday night.
The new order updates a mask mandate that had been rolled back to focus on the unvaccinated officers.
Despite the delta and omicron variants causing a spike in cases, one police source said NYPD headquarters will not follow the new imposed mandate.
"One Police Plaza isn't going to follow this," the source told the Post.
The Post reported that the city’s COVID-19 positivity rate was 7% on Friday — up from less than 3% in early December.
The state set a daily record Sunday with 22,478 COVID infections, the Daily Mail reported.
Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio on Dec. 6 declared that all private-sector employers must implement COVID-19 vaccine mandates for their workers. The biggest U.S. city set a Dec. 27 deadline for all 184,000 businesses within its limits to make their employees show proof that they have been vaccinated.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., on Dec. 10 announced a mask mandate for all indoor public places unless venues or businesses implement a COVID-19 vaccine requirement. The mandate took effect Dec. 13.
Several notable entertainment shows canceled performances in New York City during the past week due to COVID-19, including "Hamilton" and the iconic "Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes."
The Metropolitan Opera last week said it will require audiences and staff to show proof of a COVID booster shot starting in January amid growing concern over the omicron variant.
Nine members — including star Kevin Durant — of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets were placed into the league’s "health safety protocols" and returning unvaccinated star Kyrie Irving’s return will wait a little longer, according to posts on Twitter from sports journalists.
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