New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order that authorizes businesses to deny entry to those not wearing face coverings. Cuomo signed the bill May 28 in an effort to help stem the spread of coronavirus. New York has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country.

The order follows multiple publicized instances of businesses not allowing customers to enter because they weren’t wearing masks.

Cuomo said of the executive order, “That store owner has a right to protect himself. That store owner has a right to protect the other patrons in that store.” New York has experienced 23,282 deaths from the coronavirus, the most of any state in the nation.

“You don’t want to wear a mask, fine, but you don’t have a right to go into that store if that store owner doesn’t want you to,” he added while announcing the measure at his daily coronavirus briefing.

Businesses are still waiting for specific language and information for the order, including related fines. Greg Biryla, who heads the New York office of the National Federation of Independent Business, told NBC News, “The governor’s reinforcement that businesses have a right to require that customers wear face masks is a good thing. As long as we are clear that the businesses have a choice, because some businesses are not equipped or may not be able to turn away customers who don’t wear masks.”

Experts have responded to critics that say masks are an infringement of constitutional rights by reminding them of decades of “no shoes, no service,” policies that have been in place for decades.

Read more about protecting yourself from coronavirus. Check the CDC website for more information on how to protect yourself and check our latest article to learn how COVID-19 differs from the flu.

Scientists believe that the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus, started at an exotic animal market in Wuhan, China. You can help stop the incidence of viruses like these by signing this petition to ban the wildlife trade.

This is a good time to reconsider our intake of animal products to stay healthy. Eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

Interested in joining the dairy-free and meatless train? We highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
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• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
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Catch up on our latest coronavirus coverage in One Green Planet, check out these articles:

• • How Coronavirus and the Wildlife Trade are Linked
  • Coronavirus Update: States Start Relaxing Social Distancing Orders
  • New Guidelines for Pet Owners from CDC
  • Plastic Waste Soars During Coronavirus
  • Coronavirus Update: Many Patients in New York are People Who Didn’t Leave their Homes
  • Company Makes Face Masks from Ocean Plastic

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