Take 'Caution' Over Holiday Plans Amid NYC COVID Surge: Mayor

NEW YORK CITY — A growing COVID-19 surge is putting pressure on New Yorkers to decide whether to cancel holiday plans.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday stopped short of playing Grinch and telling city dwellers to cancel Christmas.

Instead, Hizzoner said New Yorkers should make their plans around the most vulnerable people to the coronavirus in their lives.

"I don't think it's one size fits all," he said. "I do think it's, you know, proceed with caution and think about the people most vulnerable in your life."

New York City saw 13,760 people test positive for COVID-19 on Monday, according to the latest data from the state. That's slightly below the record-breaking numbers from five consecutive days this week, but still much higher than nearly any other point in the pandemic.

The surge is likely fueled by the omicron variant, which is highly transmissible, adept at avoiding certain levels of vaccination and accounts for an estimated 92 percent of new cases in the New York City area.

Two top city doctors — health Commissioner Dave Chokshi and Jay Varma, a senior adviser — have publicly said they're canceling holiday travel plans.

"Difficult & deeply upsetting, since we're fully vaccinated family visiting fully vaccinated family," Varma tweeted. "Pre-#Omicron, I thought that was enough. But we were planning to stay with some at ⬆️⬆️risk of severe illness even with vaccines."

We cancelled plans to see family on west coast. Difficult & deeply upsetting, since we're fully vaccinated family visiting fully vaccinated family. Pre-#Omicron, I thought that was enough. But we were planning to stay with some at ⬆️⬆️risk of severe illness even with vaccines. https://t.co/HTNDx4aCQ1
— Jay Varma (@DrJayVarma) December 20, 2021

Chokshi said he has one "very clear and strong recommendation" that unvaccinated people should not travel for the safety of themselves others around them.

Fully vaccinated people without high risk health complications who had their booster dose of Moderna or Pfizer — which research shows adds protection — should be safe to travel, so long as they take precautions such as wearing a high-quality mask at all times, Chokshi said.

"It's the in-between category where, as the Mayor said, people do have to calibrate their individual risk and the most important consideration is the vulnerability either of yourself or the family members that you're traveling with," he said. "And I do advise caution if there's a borderline case. If you have any question and it is optional, then I would consider avoiding it at least for the next few weeks."