1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

The right to wear a mask is crucial for protecting public health and ensuring the safety of vulnerable populations. Enacting a mask ban would endanger the lives of immunocompromised individuals, those with disabilities, and others at high risk from COVID-19. It would also violate the personal freedoms of all New Yorkers to make their own informed choices about their health and wellbeing. We urge elected officials to uphold the right of constituents to wear masks without fear of criminalization or harassment. Masks remain a vital tool for mitigating virus transmission and preventing potentially disabling cases of Long COVID. Any attempt to restrict this essential protective measure is misguided and will only serve to exacerbate health inequities. For a truly inclusive society, the ability to mask must be safeguarded as a reasonable accommodation and a matter of personal liberty.