CNN’s John Berman Grills Eric Adams on Lack of Mask Requirement Amid Covid Rise: ‘You’re Not Really Using All the Tools, Are You?’
New York City entered a “high Covid alert” this week due to rising cases, and Mayor Eric Adams and city officials have encouraged people to wear masks indoors, but they have not taken the extra step and put a requirement in place.
Appearing on CNN’s New Day on Wednesday, Adams was pressed by host John Berman multiple times about his reasoning for not requiring masks, pushing back against Adams saying his administration is using every tool at its disposal to curb the rise in cases.
“Do you want people to wear masks indoors?” Berman asked.
Adams said he does despite the lack of a mandate and pushed other resources too, like available antivirals and testing. The city will also be distributing a million masks into the city, the mayor said, in an effort to encourage people wear them indoors. A mandate, however, is an “old method” from an “old war,” the mayor insisted.
“We’re going to use all the tools so we can keep this city up and operating, but most important, safe,” he said.
“You’re not really using all the tools, are you? Because you say you want people to wear masks indoors, but you’re not going to require it,” Berman responded.
“Yes, mandate, mandate. New Yorkers have responded. I’m really proud of this city. We have been responding with taking our vaccines, taking our booster shots, wearing a mask in our subway systems,” Adams said, adding that New Yorkers should be “prepared,” but not “panic.”
“We cannot allow Covid to control our lives. We need to be smart and responsible and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.
Berman was still unsatisfied with the answer, asking again why Adams would not require masks be worn if he believes it is what people should be doing to stop the rise of Covid cases.
“Because I don’t think we need to do that at this time based on the information from my medical teams as these new variants come,” Adams said, again touting “tools” beyond masks like vaccines and boosters for people to protect themselves that weren’t available during the height of the pandemic.
According to a city “high alert” released this week, health officials are advising that all New Yorkers wear masks indoors and those 65 and older avoid gatherings.
