'Winter Surge': LI Positivity Up Past 8% Heading Into Holidays

LONG ISLAND, NY — With just eight days until Christmas and the holiday season set to begin in full swing, Long Island has seen its coronavirus positivity rate spike past 8 percent this week.

As of Friday, Long Island's positivity rate stood at 8.19 percent, up from 7.12 percent on Tuesday. Statewide, Friday's positivity rate stood at 7.98 percent, with a seven-day average of 5.73 percent.

According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, a total of 60 deaths were reported over the past two days.

The spike is something Hochul has warned of for weeks, as the delta and omicron variants, combined with holiday gatherings and unvaccinated individuals, create a perfect storm.

"The winter surge in COVID-19 cases is a reminder that the pandemic is not over yet and we must take extra care to keep ourselves and each other safe," Hochul said. "The vaccine is still our best weapon to defeat the virus and ensure we are safe from serious illness. Get the shot if you haven't yet and the booster if you have, mask up, and wash your hands."

Statewide, 3,839 patients are hospitalized, with 561 newly admitted and 731 in intensive care and 435 intubated.

Vaccinations and boosters are key, Hochul has maintained.

To that end, Hochul announced the deployment on Friday of more than 40 new vaccine pop-ups statewide.

The sites will begin to launch Saturday and are part of a multi-week effort, in partnership with local county health departments and community partners, to get all New Yorkers fully vaccinated and boosted, she said.

"The winter surge is in full force, but we are not defenseless. We have the tools to fight this virus and its variants: Get vaccinated, get the booster and wear a mask," Hochul said. "We will continue working with local partners to make vaccines, boosters and testing widely available as soon possible so that all New Yorkers can protect themselves and their loved ones."

One site will be located on Long Island, offering the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna boosters at the First Baptist Church of Riverhead, located at 1018 Northville Turnpike, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

On the second day of a newly-imposed statewide mask mandate this week, Hochul said the measure might not have been necessary at all if more New Yorkers had just heeded the call to get vaccinated.

Earlier this week, Hochul said that the numbers confirm that a predicted holiday surge has come to fruition, with the number of cases per 100,000 on a seven-day average spiking 58 percent since Thanksgiving, up from 43 percent last week.

"We are not trending in the right direction," Hochul said.

The number of new hospitalizations, which Hochul has said keeps her up at night, are up 70 percent since Thanksgiving, compared to 29 percent last week, "an alarming jump statewide," she said.

The purpose of the new mandate, which requires either proof of vaccination or masks indoors in public spaces, is twofold, to protect the health of New Yorkers and the economy — at a time when hospitalizations have spiked dramatically, Hochul said.

The "short-term measure," meant to add another layer of protection during the holiday surge, is in place though January 15, at which point it will be re-evaluated, she said.

Although New Yorkers have a vaccination she said works, and although there are 31 million shots in arms, 30 percent of residents are still not fully vaccinated, Hochul said.

"This is a crisis of the unvaccinated," she said. "If I sound a little frustrated, perhaps I am — this did not have to be the case."

A Long Island physician agreed with Hochul, saying the"unvaccinated" would be most impacted by the surge and the rapidly spreading omicron variant.

With an eye toward bolstering vaccinations, new holiday-themed vaccination sites will be locate at malls, houses of worship and other holiday event venues, Hochul said.

She also announced an Israeli study that said the Pfizer booster appears effective against the omicron variant.

The answer remains vaccinations and boosters, she said. "My hope is that everyone will be vaccinated in New York State," Hochul said.