New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency as of December 3 amid a possible spike in COVID-19 cases during the winter. This is due to the Delta and Omicron variants, the latter recently identified.
The State of Emergency will allow New York to acquire supplies to combat the pandemic, increase hospital capacity and combat potential staff shortages. It also allows the state Department of Health to limit non-essential and non-urgent procedures in hospitals.
“We continue to see warning signs of spikes this coming winter, and while the new Omicron variant has yet to be detected in New York State, it is yet to come,” said Hochul.
The move comes hours after the governor said her office was closely monitoring the new variant, which was first sequenced in South Africa earlier this week.
The variant contains around 50 worrisome mutations from the original SARS CoV-2 virus that appeared in China in 2019, including more than 10 in the spike protein that allows the virus to access human cells.
On Friday, the World Health Organization named the new strain and labeled it a variant of concern. But it remains to be seen whether it will take hold globally or prevent immune responses from previous infections or vaccination.
However, the news shook markets around the world. The Dow posted its worst day in more than a year on what would otherwise be the biggest day on the calendar for retailers. And as a result, the United States joined Canada and much of Europe in blocking travelers from various southern African countries.
In his statement Friday, Hochul again urged New Yorkers to get the vaccine, noting that just under 10 percent of adults in the state had not received at least one dose.
“The vaccine remains one of our best weapons in the fight against the pandemic, and I encourage all New Yorkers to get vaccinated and get the booster if they are fully vaccinated,” he said.
– .
