After months of mixed messages about masks, President Donald Trump said during a briefing Tuesday that people should be wearing face coverings when in public. But he's still not in favor of a federal mask mandate. 

The president’s shift on the issue brought out many comments for and against masks on News 12 Long Island’s Facebook page.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order on April 17 requiring all New Yorkers to wear a face covering when out in public where social distancing isn't possible.

At that same time, the CDC and the federal Coronavirus Task Force were recommending face coverings nationwide. 

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“We can have a significant impact on the spread of this if we universally…use cloth masks,” says Dr. Andrew Patane, of NYU Langone Huntington Medical Group. “This is one of our biggest tools, most effective tools, and I think…the data is convincingly clear, and we need to follow that.”

Nationally, more retailers are also requiring customers across the country to mask up as well. That includes Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Starbucks, Best Buy and Apple.

During a conference call on Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo once again urged President Trump to sign a national face mask mandate to help contain the virus that is spreading more rapidly in other states.