Astoria Park (Parks Dept.)
April 30, 2020 By Allie Griffin
New York City will be handing out free face coverings to New Yorkers in an effort to further control the spread of the coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today.
City workers will be distributing up to 100,000 face coverings in parks and playgrounds across the five boroughs from Saturday, May 2 through Tuesday, May 5.
“We need to fight [the virus] back and this is a very simple powerful way to do it,” de Blasio said.
In Queens, the coverings will be distributed at Queensbridge Park, Astoria Park, Lost Battalion Hall, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Mauro Playground, Daniel O’Connell Playground, Baisley Pond Park, Springfield Park, Redfern Playground and Sorrentino Recreation Center.
“We want to make it easy for people to have face coverings,” de Blasio said.
The city is also ramping up its social distancing enforcement and education as the weather warms up and more people will be going outside.
The mayor is creating a task force of 1,000 full-time workers who will be brought in from a number of city agencies to enforce social distancing rules. The task force will include employees of the Parks Department, Office of Special Enforcement, Sheriff’s Office, FDNY, DEP and DSNY.
The workers will add to the NYPD officers who have already been patrolling streets and parks to ensure compliance. Task force workers will also distribute another 275,000 free face coverings to those without them throughout the city.
Face coverings will help protect everyone from the spread of the coronavirus, de Blasio said.
“I want people to think that it’s not a small act to put on a face covering — in fact, it’s a very generous altruistic act,” de Blasio said. “It helps protect everyone around you. It helps reduce the spread of the disease. Think about the face coverings as yet another way to inhibit this disease which has done such horrifying things to New Yorkers.”
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11 Comments
How about giving out free usable mass at Beach 98 Street in Queens by the subway.
As of May 6, The free masks program at NYC parks has been extended through May 12. Map of locations at nyc.gov.
Well de blasio has inspired many a face palm.
Thank God he wasn’t mayor on 9-11.
You’re not supposed to flush them, Nimrod! You deserve to have your landlord upset with you.
Remember to disinfect the mask before you use it.
Not everyone has enough Lysol for that
Hopefully designers will start making some for the public. Nike and Adidas should start giving them out at public housing.
Give out TOILET PAPER. Im tired of using expensive baby wipes. It clogged my toilet and now my landlord is very upset with me.
What’s the over/under on how many of those masks will wind up thrown on the ground?
People are going to flock there like it’s black Friday.
It’s about time