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

Health officials in New York City are again advising residents to wear COVID-19 masks while indoors, a response to virus 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 also said.

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

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