New Yorkers are officially urged to wear masks again

To wear a mask or not to wear one? It seems like the question isn't going away any time soon—and neither are face coverings, as New York City health officials just renewed the local mask advisory.

Earlier today, the agency cited "high levels" of COVID-19 as a reason to resume wearing masks in all indoor public settings and outdoor crowds.

"We're currently seeing high levels of COVID-19 in NYC," the Health Department tweeted today. "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 message was accompanied by a diagram illustrating different masks and highlighting which ones provide the most protection against the virus.

According to official data, the seven-day positivity rate in New York is now 14.6%, which is the highest it's been since January of this year. Specific parts of town—the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island—actually boast rates that are over 20%.

The announcement was met with a wide range of responses by the public, with some arguing for the necessity of a stricter mandate and others asking officials to back off on the restrictions.

"The city clearly needs to bring back indoor mask mandates, because not enough people are paying attention and/or believing and understanding the science in order to make the smart decision without a mandate," one Twitter user commented on the platform.

"Stop perpetuating the fear," someone else wrote. "There are certain places like medical facilities that make sense to wear masks right now. Others? C'mon."

Other reactions include: "I will not wear one I'm vax and boosted" and "tell the mayor."

As usual, New Yorkers have their own (very strong) opinions. For what it's worth, we wish for everyone to stay safe.