Lawmakers in Nassau County, N.Y., have enacted a law that prohibits the use of masks or facial coverings in public. While the law includes exemptions for medical reasons, critics of the ban argue it could still create health risks, USA Today reported Aug. 14.
The law prohibits residents from wearing masks or facial coverings to conceal their identity in public. Masks may be permitted when worn "to protect the health or safety of the wearer," the law states. Exemptions also allow masks to be worn for religious or cultural purposes and for holiday celebrations.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the Mask Transparency Act into law Aug. 14. The county legislature's 12 Republicans voted in favor of the ban earlier this month, while seven Democrats abstained, according to Time.
Residents who violate the law may be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
County lawmakers cited heightened tension surrounding protests on the Israel-Hamas conflict as motivation for the ban. Proponents of the measure argue it will improve public safety by targeting people who seek to hide their identities while commiting crimes.
The New York Civil Liberties Union has opposed the ban, noting the medical exemption only applies to individuals masking to protect their own health, versus the health of others. The group claims the ban will adversely affect people who are immunocompromised.
Masks "protect people's health, especially at a time of rising COVID rates, and make it possible for people with elevated risk to participate in public life," Susan Gottehrer, Nassau County regional director of the NYCLU, said in an Aug. 14 release.
Some physicians and health policy experts have also expressed skepticism over the practicality of such health exceptions, arguing it will be difficult for authorities to discern who is wearing a mask for health reasons versus to protect their identity.