New York dawns under a new demand for the use of masks in its indoor public spaces – Telemundo New York (47)

What you should know

• Gov. Kathy Hochul Says Stronger Measures Needed to Curb the Spread of COVID Statewide; Delta has pushed hospitalizations to month-long highs, while Ómicron may be driving the latest surge in cases.
• The seven-day average case rate statewide has increased 43% since Thanksgiving, and hospitalizations increased 29% in that period, the governor said. Vaccines are up 2% in that window, not enough to overcome the spread.
• Ómicron has now been identified in at least half of the US states and in more than 60 countries, says New York’s health chief; Early data on severity has been encouraging, but delta continues to increase the hospitalization rate.

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NEW YORK – Starting Monday, if you live or work in New York and are heading to an indoor public space that does not require a complete vaccination proof, you will need to wear a mask, according to an order issued by Governor Kathy Hochul. last week in a preemptive strike against the latest wave of COVID.

Faced with a sudden increase in COVID-19 infections in cold weather, Governor Kathy Hochul implemented the new rules due to the increasing number of cases and hospitalizations, which have been especially pronounced in some areas of the upstate.

The order went into effect Monday, with fines of up to $ 1,000 per violation.

New York enacted a mask mandate at the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020 that ended in June 2021 for vaccinated people. The new masks mandate applies to both users and staff and runs from Monday through January 15, after which the state will reassess.

“The COVID-19 winter surge has significantly limited hospital bed capacity in many parts of the state, making it more important than ever that we use the tools at our disposal to keep ourselves and our families safe and healthy. season. “Hochul said Sunday.

“The vaccine is effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization from COVID-19, and I encourage all New Yorkers to put on yours, or its booster, as soon as possible. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and remember that we are not powerless. Do everything you can to protect your community, “he added.

The seven-day average case rate statewide has risen 43% since Thanksgiving and hospitalizations increased 29% in that period, the governor said. Vaccines are up 2% in that window, not enough to overcome the spread.

Even where vaccination rates are higher, the recent spread of COVID, whether Omicron-induced or otherwise, is far outpacing them. While more data is needed to determine whether omicron is linked to more severe outcomes or reduced vaccine efficacy, experts say it certainly appears to be more infectious than previous strains, possibly even more infectious than delta.

CDC locs indicated this week that of the more than 40 Americans who have been found to be infected with Omicron so far, more than 75% of them have been vaccinated. Progressive infections have been on the rise in New York since early November, although they still account for a fraction of new infections compared to unvaccinated.

In total, COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide are at their highest levels since the end of April and have soared 86% in the last month alone, the most recent data shows. Hochul and health experts say that’s a reflection of the still ubiquitous control of delta, which accounts for 99% of all gene-sequenced positive samples in New York, and in the nation, and has been scientifically linked to more severe cases of infection.

New York joins several states with similar indoor mask mandates, including Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, and Hawaii.

Mask mandates have become a hot topic. For weeks, Hochul has said that local governments will decide whether to reimpose the COVID-19 protocols. He has expressed caution about whether resistant communities would follow stricter rules.

Hochul’s announcement last week was applauded by some fellow Democrats and a union representing grocery and retail workers, even as Republicans called it overreaching and an unnecessary burden on businesses.

While local health departments will be in charge of enforcing the requirements, Rockland County Republican Executive Ed Day said the governor’s staff was unable to provide detailed information on the new requirement and announced that the county will not enforce the new order.

“I told the governor’s staff that we cannot and will not enforce this requirement as it currently stands,” Day said in a prepared statement.

Hochul announced the masks mandate at a social services agency in Manhattan, where most people already wear masks. New York City requires vaccinations for restaurant dining, entertainment, and indoor gyms, and venues that require vaccinations will not be affected by the new rule.

The mayor of New York City outlined the country’s strictest vaccination mandate earlier this week that will take effect on December 27, while new vaccination requirements for children under 12 will take effect on Tuesday.

The state recorded more than 68,000 positive tests for the virus in the seven-day period ending Wednesday. That’s the most in any seven-day period since early February, and rates are increasing in almost every county.

Nearly 3,500 people are hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 cases in New York, nearly double the 1,794 on Nov. 7.

The increase is especially pronounced in some areas of upstate New York, which has accounted for nearly three-quarters of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in hospitals since August. Several upstate counties have recently enacted mask mandates, including Erie County, which includes Buffalo.

In Sullivan County, in the central Hudson Valley, Public Health Director Nancy McGraw said people have become complacent about the virus and she supports the mask mandate. He said vaccination rates are disappointingly low in remote areas, including Woodbourne, where only 36% of about 3,000 residents are fully vaccinated.

“We have very limited resources to enforce the law and people need to do the right thing,” said McGraw. “Public responsibility is key here.”

New York has the seventh highest rate of fully vaccinated residents: 70.1% according to federal data updated Friday. But fewer than 60% of residents are fully vaccinated in more than 500 zip codes across New York, according to data from about 1,300 zip codes provided by the state health agency.

Thirty-two upstate hospitals in Niagara and elsewhere had to limit elective nonessential surgeries as of Thursday due to capacity issues.

One of the hardest-hit hospitals in the state, Glen Falls Hospital in Warren County, said 50 of 165 patients had COVID-19 as of Wednesday. Those are the most infected patients the hospital has ever reported, according to state data.

“We remain very busy in all units of the hospital,” said hospital spokesman F. Raymond Agnew. He said 70% of COVID-19 admissions are unvaccinated.

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