NY Starts Test Kit Airlift As Cases, Child Hospitalizations Rise

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — With COVID-19 cases increasing exponentially, New York officials are deploying planes and trucks to acquire and distribute coronavirus test kits across the state.

In the Hudson Valley, the number of positive coronavirus tests per 100,000 residents was far higher Christmas Day than at the pandemic's former peak in January 2021 — and state officials warned that testing was lower because of the holiday.

During a press briefing Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul suggested parents use the school break to vaccinate children, with opportunities to do so available at pharmacies, urgent care centers, state sites and pediatricians.

New York's Acting Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary Bassett, back with Hochul after testing positive herself last week, said New York saw a twofold increase in the number of pediatric hospitalizations, with a fourfold increase in New York City. Bassett added that while the total was not high or a cause for panic, among the hospitalized children aged five to 11, none had been vaccinated.

She and Hochul said they highlighted the situation to urge parents to get shots in kids' arms. Their other goal was to alert pediatricians so they could be aware of the potential for COVID-19 in children — and to raise awareness among parents.

"Many parents think children don't become infected. That's not true," Bassett said. "Some do, and will be hospitalized."

Hochul also said she is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve vaccinations for children under the age of 5. In the meantime, she said parents should vaccinate kids 5 and up to protect younger siblings.

Over the past two days, 132 New Yorkers died and the total number of daily hospitalizations statewide stood at 5,526, though state officials warned the numbers could be low due to holiday delays in reporting.

As the holiday began, New Yorkers seeking to be tested were stymied by long lines, and the demand for home test kits far outstripped supply. Hochul said a total of 37 million rapid testing kits have been ordered.

"Planes with these kits begin arriving tomorrow. They will be landing in the state every day this week," said Acting Department of Homeland Security Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray. "We've got over a hundred trucks on the roads from warehouse to warehouse to our hubs."

Last week, Bray said, more than a million over-the-counter tests were delivered to local health departments outside New York City. "Our over-the-counter deliveries this week will not be our last," she added. "We're going to be doing rolling deliveries every week, every other week, to all of our counties, both to our school districts, but also to communities."

In addition, she said any county that wants additional testing sites is able to request staff and supplies from the state.

She said the state test sites opening Wednesday — none in the Hudson region — are just the first wave of new state-run clinics planned.

First priority is getting test kits to school districts, Hochul said, because of the huge cost of having children's education disrupted and her administration's focus on Jan. 3, when schools are scheduled to reopen after winter break.

"All of us agree, we have a strong public interest in keeping our kids in school," she said. As of this week, 3 million to 3.5 million tests are expected to be delivered to schools statewide, she said. The tests will be prioritized on case rate per district.

Hochul said her winter surge plan — including pausing non-essential procedures in hospitals with limited capacity; expanding the available hospital workforce; allowing additional health care workers to administer vaccines; deploying the National Guard to nursing homes; and working with hospitals to send staff to high-need areas — was working, and the plan was still to evaluate all the policies Jan. 15.

"I'll always reserve the right to take a different action if the situation warrants it," she said.

Hochul also said she will unveil "winter surge 2.0" plans at a press briefing on New Year's Eve. "We're preparing for all scenarios, including worst case," she said. "We want to be able to deploy whatever actions need to be taken if we are in a crisis situation. We're not there yet."

On the vaccination front, more than 3.2 million New Yorkers have been vaccinated since Dec. 1, with more than 33 million doses as of 11 a.m. Sunday, and 4.3 million boosters administered.

While Hochul said she is excited that New York reached the milestone of 90 percent of residents having received one dose, the gap between one dose and fully vaccinated is still too large — and boosters are critical, she said.

The state's hospital workers are exhausted and fed up with the people who are not vaccinated and are now filling up their corridors, she said.

Discussing Friday's announcement that New York State would allow health care and other essential workers who have tested positive for COVID-10 to return to work after five days if they are asymptomatic and have not had a fever for 72 hours, Hochul said the state's guidance differs from that issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in that New Yorkers must be fully vaccinated. They must also wear well-fitting masks.

"This is not about sending people back to work who are sick or having symptoms," Hochul said.

As for the state's 608 nursing homes, about a third have reported at least one resident with COVID-19, Hochul said. Nearly 90 percent of nursing home residents are vaccinated but statewide, only about two-thirds of nursing home residents have been fully vaccinated and boosted. Many have not received boosters because the nursing homes have not gotten clearance from family members. "The facts are clear. We know three quarters of lives we have lost are those over 65," she said. "Being vaxed and boosted is critical in vulnerable nursing home populations."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is sending an incident management assistance team to Albany Monday and will be embedded in the emergency operations center to provide federal help with clinical staffing, ambulances and mobile testing — six mobile testing teams arrived in New York City last week and 30 ambulances were sent by the federal government, Bray said.

And, Hochul added, when the federal allocation of oral treatment for COVID-19 created by Pfizer is available, New York "wants to get its fair share and be first on line."

The governor told New Yorkers planning New Year's Eve festivities to be vaccinated and boosted, make sure guests are too, get tested beforehand, and stay home if sick.

"We will get through this winter surge together," Hochul said.

Patch Editor Lisa Finn contributed to this report.