NYC Faces 'Critical Moment' As Omicron COVID Variant Looms

NEW YORK CITY — The new omicron coronavirus variant is knocking on New York City's door — and soon it will be inside the house.

But both Mayor Bill de Blasio and his soon-to-be successor Eric Adams plan to give it a harsh welcome.

The pair made a joint appearance Monday and outlined a series of measures to fight omicron, including strengthen guidance on indoor mask wearing and a new vaccination mandate for child care employees.

De Blasio said there are no confirmed omicron cases in the city, but officials are nonetheless "very, very carefully" monitoring the situation in coordination with their CDC counterparts and Gov. Kathy Hochul, who recently declared a state of emergency.

"It is very likely there will be, but there are no cases at this moment,” he said. “But, nonetheless, we are preparing to take action and our entire focus once again is going to be on vaccination.”

“This could prove to be a critical moment in our war with COVID-19,” Adams said. “And we must treat it that way.”

Today @NYCHealthCommr issued an updated mask advisory: all New Yorkers are encouraged to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. Let's take steps now to stay safe, protect each other, and prepare for the #OmicronVariant. pic.twitter.com/UEbsyTy0Bm
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 29, 2021

The omicron variant raised alarm bells worldwide last week after researchers found it carried worrisome mutations. The World Health Organization declared it a "variant of concern" — its most serious designation — and nations shut down travel to and from several southern African countries where the variant was first detected.

But much about omicron remains unknown, and likely will be for a few more weeks as scientists conduct research on the variant, said Dave Chokshi, the city's health commissioner.

Chokshi said omicron has mutations similar to other highly transmissible variants, such as delta, which now accounts for 98 percent of cases in the city. He said researchers so far have less evidence about whether omicron contributes to more severe or less severe disease.

Preliminary evidence suggests people who had COVID-19 in the past could be more easily reinfected with omicron, he said.

“This underscores our strong recommendation to get vaccinated, regardless of whether you already had COVID-19," he said.

“Based on what we’ve seen with other variants, we do expect the vaccines to retain some degree of effectiveness but precisely how much will take a few weeks to clarify,” he said.

Chokshi said the city is strongly recommending that all New Yorkers wear a mask at all times when indoors and in a public setting, such as grocery stores, building lobbies, retail stores and offices.

"We want to deliver a very clear and unequivocal message that everyone should be masking indoors regardless of their vaccination status," he said.

The city also will mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employees of child care and early intervention programs citywide starting Dec. 20, de Blasio said.

The mandate will cover 102,000 employees overall, he said.

Chokshi said the mandate builds off a previous rule for child care workers in city-contracted situations.

"This extends it to essentially all childcare settings in New York City," he said.