New York City to impose mask fines as COVID-19 cases climb

New York City will impose fines on people who refuse to wear a face-covering as the rate of positive tests for the novel coronavirus climbed above 3 percent for the first time in months, Mayor Bill de Blasio has said. Officials will first offer free masks to those caught not wearing one. If the person refuses, they will face an unspecified fine, de Blasio told reporters on Tuesday. “Our goal, of course, is to give everyone a free face mask,” de Blasio said. “We don’t want to fine people, but if we have to we will.” The new rule extends across the city a similar policy imposed earlier this month by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, controlled by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, in which commuters who refuse to wear a mask on public transit face a $50 fine. De Blasio’s office did not respond to questions about who would enforce the new fines and how much they would be. The city-wide daily positive test rate was 3.25 percent. The mayor attributed the rise in part to nine zip codes out of 146 that city health officials say have seen a worrying uptick in cases, including several tight-knit Hasidic Jewish communities. The seven-day rolling average for positive coronavirus tests was 1.38 percent. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">