What you need to know about new mandates before heading to NYC
If you are planning a family outing to New York City to see the tree, attend a show, or eat dinner, bring you mask and proof of vaccination.
Tough new anti-COVID restrictions are going into this week as COVID cases surge in New York.
As of today, masks are to be worn in all indoor locations. The only exception is if a business requires proof of vaccination to enter.
On Tuesday, all children 5-years-old and older will have to show proof of vaccination to attend most indoor events and eat inside at a restaurant.
If you are taking New Jersey Transit into the city, masks are already required on all busses and trains, inside stations and on platforms.
The mask mandate applies to all of New York State, but there is already resistance from residents and some local government officials.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day, a Republican, has already said he will not enforce the new mask mandate. He told ABC-7 he has not received enough detailed information from state health officials. He also claims enforcing the mandate would divert valuable resources from bolstering his county's vaccination efforts.
New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio is facing legal challenges to what many believe is the toughest vaccination mandate in the nation. He has ordered all private employers to require vaccination proof from their workers by the end of the year. City employees are already under such a mandate.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has been reluctant to impose any new restrictions. He has urged people to mask-up indoors, but has not made it a mandate. He has instead focused on encouraging more people to get vaccinated and to get their booster shots.
New Jersey continues to see a surge in new COVID cases, despite more than 6.3 million residents considered fully vaccinated.