New Yorkers are now officially required to wear face coverings in public

If you can't keep six feet away from others, whether on a bus, on the sidewalk or in a park, you must now wear a face covering in public or you could be fined, according to a new executive order by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The new requirement, which Cuomo announced on Wednesday during his daily press briefing, goes into effect on Friday, April 17 at 8pm.

"If you're at an intersection and there's people in the intersection, put the mask on," he said. "You're right to go out for a walk in the park... the dog is getting on your nerves... fine—don't infect me. You don't have the right to infect me."

He went on to say that the mask or covering (even "an attractive or color-coordinated bandana") must be on any time you are close to people, whether you're on public transportation or walking past people on a sidewalk. 

During a Wednesday morning press conference earlier today, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio also suggested that supermarkets could post signs requiring customers to wear face coverings.

"We have to be clear, this is another one of the things we have to do to protect each other," he said.

De Blasio merely advised people to wear face coverings when out in public last week, but Cuomo's executive order overrides any local laws in place.

"The reason for this guidance is because the studies are showing that some asymptomatic people, some presymptomatic people, appear to actually be transmitting this disease," de Blasio had said. "We don’t have perfect evidence. It doesn’t conform with what the initial information showed us weeks ago, but it does seem to be more and more evident. What that means is when you put on that face covering, you’re protecting everyone else."

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