Alarmed by the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and the increasing prevalence of the Omicron variant, city authorities will distribute one million masks and 500,000 home tests, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday.
The mass distributions are part of a larger plan to counter the spread of the virus, which also includes facilitating testing through more centers and longer hours.
The governor also said that an online site would be created where residents could request that tests be sent to their homes, selectively.
Although only a few cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in the city so far, federal health authorities estimate that it already accounts for about 13% of cases of the virus in the region that includes New York and New Jersey.
De Blasio said it is clear that Ómicron is “in full swing” and spreading.
“This variant moves fast. We have to move faster,” the mayor said at a news conference in Brooklyn.
New York State reported nearly 18,300 new cases of the virus on Wednesday, the third-highest single-day total since COVID-19 testing became widely available to the public in spring 2020. Nearly 83,000 people have tested positive in the seven-day period ending Wednesday, the most for any such period since last January.
The city had mostly been spared the worst of the great wave of COVID-19 cases that has taken place in the Northeast and Midwest since Thanksgiving, but the situation has changed rapidly in recent days.
“The data that we follow so closely shows an alarming trend,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi.
The Commissioner posted a message on social networks with instructions on what to do on behalf of the public and what the city does in the face of the rise in Covid-19 infections.
“Omicron is here in New York and is spreading rapidly. We see an increase in # COVID19 cases before the holidays – the 7-day average for new cases tripled in the last month. All counties remain in high transmission,” he wrote Chokshi at the beginning of a series of messages with instructions.
Omicron is here in NYC and spreading quickly. We’re seeing a surge of #COVID19 cases ahead of the holidays – the 7-day average for new cases has tripled in the last month. All boroughs remain in high transmission. ????
— Commissioner Dave A. Chokshi, MD (@NYCHealthCommr) December 16, 2021
One million N95 masks will be distributed free of charge through the city’s Tracking and Testing Corps, community organizations and clinics. The 500,000 free home tests will also be distributed through community organizations, the mayor said.
The plan also includes the reinforcement of inspections in businesses to verify compliance with the city’s vaccination obligations and a campaign in the media to promote booster vaccines.
“I expect the cases to continue to increase in the coming days, and this builds on the trajectory we are following in other countries such as South Africa, the UK and Denmark,” said Dr Dave Chokshi, City Health Commissioner.
Chokshi issued an updated notice outlining steps New Yorkers must take to limit the spread of the virus.
De Blasio said current plans may be modified to allow crowds into Times Square for the New Year’s celebration. But he also pointed out that the celebration will be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
As for the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that an online portal would allow New Yorkers to request tests at home, and that there would be a selection of areas with criteria, such as having the fewest number of people vaccinated and the highest case rates.
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