Federal courthouses in some areas of New York have begun to require people wear two masks in order to enter the facility.
“You are required to wear either: (i) one disposable mask underneath a cloth mask with the edges of the inner mask pushed against your face; or (ii) a properly fitted, FDA-authorized KN95 (or N95) mask. Gaiters, bandannas, or masks with valves/vents are not acceptable face coverings. If you do not have the approved mask(s), a screener will provide one. No one will be admitted without the proper mask(s),” reads a public memo released last week.
People seeking to enter courthouses in the Southern District of New York will also have to answer health questions and get temperature checks in addition to the double-masking policy. Anyone who feels sick or has recently been exposed to COVID-19 will also be barred from the courthouses.
The decision was made based on updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that urges people to double-mask, saying research has found that loose and poorly fitted masks allow too many virus particles to get through to people wearing them. Instead, people should wear a cloth mask on top of a surgical mask to get better protection.
The CDC said people will not have to double mask if they have the N95 or KN95 masks, which offer superior protection but were not widely available for much of the pandemic.
The Southern District of New York comprises Manhattan, the Bronx, as well as Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan counties.
