Last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hinted that a new mask policy might be on the way, shortly before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance that said people living in areas with substantial rates of new COVID cases should wear face coverings indoors, regardless of vacation status.

Federal health officials issued the advisory because coronavirus infections are increasing sharply nationwide, including in New York. CDC data shows over the past few days that Manhattan and Brooklyn rose from “substantial” to “high” community transmission, joining Staten Island on the list of counties with more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents. Queens and Bronx remain in the substantial zone.

So anticipation was high on Monday when the mayor and New York Governor Cuomo held separate press briefings to discuss the policy. But in the end, neither leader proposed a new mandate, opting instead for strong recommendations. WNYC host Sean Carlson spoke with health and science editor Nsikan Akpan about why the two came to the same conclusion but for differing reasons.

Click "listen" in the player and head to Gothamist for more details.