NEW YORK - For many New Yorkers, wearing a face mask when out in public is something they already do voluntarily.

But when they’re jogging it’s usually mask-less.

"It’s very hard to breathe when you run, so I just kinda try to keep a really far distance from other people," said one runner.

“It’s very difficult to wear a mask while jogging for me. And I figure as long as I’m six to 10 feet away from everybody else, I’m only with myself and the fresh air," said another runner.

But under an executive order signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, masks will no longer be optional in situations when social distancing is not possible. 

Cuomo says his phone has been "ringing off the hook" with people complaining about the mandate calling it government overreach. But he says masks are necessary to help reduce the spread of the virus.

"People say it’s a personal intrusion on them but again remember it is not just about you. I have rights also. And my kids have rights and your kids have rights. And you have a right for another person to take reasonable safeguards so you are not infected," Cuomo said.

Many New Yorkers who spoke with NY1 on Thursday say they plan to comply.

"I’m a health care professional so I definitely feel I especially should be wearing a mask when I’m outside. So when I pass people, I try to pull it up... and when I get started and when I end, when I’m just walking, I’ll pull it up," said Amanda DeRobertis, a registered nurse.

"When I go to the supermarket or when I need to go to a store, or there is a situation where I know I am going to come into closer contact, then I wear a scarf, a non medical face covering over my head. If I’m out in Central Park where I can maintain a greater than six foot distance, then I abide by the order that way," said another New Yorker.

Governor Cuomo’s order comes roughly two weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that everyone wear a face covering in public.  

And while local governments are expected to enforce the governor’s executive order, they won’t be issuing fines just yet.  

The governor also says riders would not be ejected from public transportation if they did not wear a mask or face covering.