New York’s shops have been given the power to ban customers who refuse to wear face masks.
The city’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced an executive order last night allowing private store owners to deny service to people not wearing a mask.
“We are giving store owners the right to say, ‘If you’re not wearing a mask, you can’t come in,’” he said in his daily briefing.
The move comes after a row between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden this week over the use of face masks.
Mr Trump has consistently refused to wear one in public, and mocked Mr Biden for sporting a large black mask at a Memorial Day event on Monday. The former vice president labelled Mr Trump a “fool” for not wearing one.
Meanwhile, the Boston Marathon has been cancelled for the first time in its 124-year history because of the need to maintain social distancing. It had been postponed from 20 April to 14 September.
The race will be replaced by a virtual event in which those who verify that they ran 26.2 miles on their own will receive a finisher’s medal.
