Montgomery County meets mark for CDC mask guidelines

Montgomery County now meets the threshold for the CDC’s updated mask guidelines. It joins several other Capital Region counties where there is enough transmission of the coronavirus that people are advised to wear masks indoors.

Warren County is also back on the list.

The CDC announced last week that everyone, including people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, should wear a face covering indoors in places where there is substantial or high spread of the virus.

The latest CDC data as of Monday afternoon indicates that Albany, Columbia, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Warren counties all meet the substantial level.

Montgomery County is a new addition to the list. Warren County was listed as substantial last week, it improved to the moderate level, and is now rated as substantial again.

This is still just a recommendation from the CDC, which can’t issue mandates.

Gov. Cuomo called on local governments to follow the CDC guidelines during his news briefing Monday morning. He said the state can’t issue a new mask mandate without passing a new law.