Masking, social distancing rules ending for vaccinated NYC municipal workers

Fully vaccinated municipal workers in New York City will no longer need to wear masks indoors or observe social distancing rules starting next week, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday, a move that belies the World Health Organization's recommendation to maintain preventive measures.

The W.H.O. made the recommendation last week as the new delta variant of COVID-19 expanded its presence in countries across the globe. Long Island, New York State and many parts of the United States have relaxed restrictions put in place to combat the virus. But a large chunk of Southern California could be an outlier. Health officials in Los Angeles County are recommending, but not making mandatory, that people wear masks indoors in public places regardless of their vaccination status.

In New York City, the requirements for fully vaccinated municipal workers will end on July 6, de Blasio said. Masking and social distancing requirements remain in place for unvaccinated workers, and all city workers interacting with the public regardless of vaccination status must continue to mask.

Nassau County told its vaccinated workers in mid-May they could go without masks, as it followed guidelines from New York State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials said. Suffolk has a similar policy for vaccinated employees, who must provide either paper or electronic proof of their shots, the county said in a statement.

On the town level, Hempstead — the largest township by population in New York State — no longer requires employees to wear masks outdoors as it, too, followed state and CDC guidelines.

"Those who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear masks while working indoors," the town said in a statement. "We are continuing to encourage non-vaccinated employees to wear masks and practice social distancing in indoor facilities."

Two health care experts on a Newsday Live webinar Tuesday urged precautions, saying that even for those who have been fully vaccinated, there are times where wearing a mask indoors is advisable.

Health officials in Los Angeles County — the nation’s most populous county — made their recommendation with an aim at preventing the spread of the delta variant.

The W.H.O. said the variant, first discovered in India, appears more highly transmissible than other viral spinoffs of COVID-19. Experts believe continued safe practices can help stem the rise of delta and additional new variants.

"Every time someone gets infected, the virus learns new tricks," said Dr. Susan Donelan, an assistant professor of infectious disease at Stony Brook University's Renaissance School of Medicine. "Some of those will die out; others will get better [at being variants]. … The delta variant has edged out many of the new variants. It's become better at evading the protection we get from the vaccines."

The W.H.O. said the delta variant now accounts for about 95% of all new cases in the United Kingdom and has been found in at least 85 countries, including the U.S. — where its prevalence has doubled in the past two weeks alone.

"I'm impressed with the success of the vaccines. But, as long as people are getting the virus, the virus is evolving," said Dr. Bruce E. Hirsch, an infectious disease specialist at the Manhasset-based Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. "If the virus is active anywhere, it has the chance to be active everywhere."

The CDC said that while the delta variant accounts for just 3.1% of all new cases in New York, it accounts for 29.1% of all new cases in Missouri, 10.9% in Colorado and 7.4% in New Jersey.

In New York, 56.2% of all new cases remain the initial strain of COVID-19, which is B.1.1.7 or Alpha. Other strains are associated with Japan, Brazil, South Africa, California and other "lineages."

"The COVID-19 vaccines that are currently in development or have been approved are expected to provide at least some protection against new virus variants because these vaccines elicit a broad immune response involving a range of antibodies and cells," the W.H.O. said on its website.

The W.H.O. added that "stopping the spread at the source" remains key — and that's why "current measures to reduce transmission" remain in place.

The webinar experts said those measures should be considered because many people still haven't been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — and that if the status of those around you is unclear, it simply makes sense to wear a mask.

With wearing a mask, continued safe practices and the protection of any of the approved vaccines, "You're not as likely to get ill," Hirsch said.

Throughout the state, COVID-19 indicators continued at low levels, with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo saying Tuesday that New York is marching ahead in its campaign to crush the virus.

"New York State is getting closer to defeating the COVID-19 pandemic for good every single day, but vaccinations remain key to our success and we need New Yorkers to step up and take the shot," he said.

The seven-day average for positivity in testing was 0.39% statewide, 0.36% on Long Island, and 0.41% in New York City.

The number of new confirmed cases in test results from Monday was 15 in Nassau, 20 in Suffolk , and 169 in New York City.

Three people died on Monday of causes related to the virus, including one in Suffolk.

With AP

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