New York, Oct 5 (IANS): New York Police Department (NYPD) officers will face disciplinary action if they do not wear a face mask while on duty, it was reported.
In an email sent out by the force, NYPD officers were reminded "that they are required to wear face coverings at all times when performing duties in public areas, department facilities and whenever social distancing is not possible", ABC7 New York said in a news report on Sunday.
The email further said that officers cannot wear other face coverings, including scarves, bandanas and handkerchiefs, which "were not originally designed for that purpose".
"It is our responsibility to set the example for our great city. And do everything we can to help ensure we do not have another hospitalized member bring this deadly infection into our homes, or have another funeral," Chief of Department Terence Monahan was quoted as saying in the email.
He also announced that a memorial will be held on Monday at the St. Patrick's Cathedral in honour of 46 NYPD officers who lost their lives due to Covid-19.
This development came a day after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday that the state was responding to growing coronavirus clusters in 20 "hotspot" ZIP codes, as infection rates continue to soar.
The 20 ZIP codes are located in Brooklyn, Queens, and Rockland and Orange Counties.
According to the statement, 8,676 tests have been conducted in these areas, yielding 450 positives or a 5.2 per cent positivity rate.
In the remainder of the state, 125,591 tests were conducted, yielding 1,281 positives or a 1.01 per cent positivity rate, it added.
In a tweet, Tom Frieden, the former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: "NYC is on the edge of a precipice. We're seeing extensive, ongoing spread in religious communities and there's a high risk of Covid-19 resurgence, even in areas that were hit hard in the spring.
Once the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic in the US, New York state has reported more than 469,000 Covid-19 cases, of which New York City accounted for over 251,000.
The death toll in the state stood at 32,813.
As of Monday, the US continued as the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 7,420,779 and 209,821, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University.