Cuomo: All New Yorkers Must Cover Face While in Public

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new executive order on Wednesday, all New Yorkers must have their face covered when in public.

All people in public in New York must have a mask or mouth and nose covering, Cuomo announced on Wednesday during his COVID-19 press briefing.

New Yorkers must wear it in a situation where you are not maintaining "social distancing."

"For example, if you are riding on public transit where it is impossible to maintain social distancing, or walking on a busy sidewalk, you must wear a face-covering like a bandana or a mask," Cuomo said.

New Yorkers must have their face covered when in public, public transit or busy streets, according to Cuomo.

"Any situation in public where you can't maintain social distancing. If you can't maintain that social distancing, you have to wear a mask," Cuomo said.

Cuomo said New Yorkers have three days to obtain a mask for face covering. The executive order officially goes into effect on Friday.

New Yorkers are allowed to cover faces with a medical-grade mask or a cloth covering that covers the nose and mouth. As of now, there won't be a penalty, Cuomo said. If people don't follow it, people could be fined, he added.