New York City authorities again advise indoor mask-wearing as COVID-19 cases stay elevated

Health officials in New York City are once again advising residents to don face masks while indoors, a response to COVID-19 case levels that have remained flat but elevated in recent weeks.

"We're currently seeing high levels of COVID-19 in NYC," the city’s health department said in a tweet on Friday. 

"To help slow the spread, all New Yorkers should wear a high-quality mask, such as an N95, KN95 or KF94 in all public indoor settings and around crowds outside," the department claimed.

Masks have been a regular part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, especially in New York City, where their usage and enforcement has been pushed heavily since the earliest days of the crisis. 

COVID-19 cases in New York, meanwhile, are elevated from their rates in the early spring, though they have largely been flat for about six week.