NY COVID Cases Surge 400% In A Week; 7 New Testing Sites Opening

NEW YORK— As the surge in New York coronavirus cases continues to spiral upward — with even the state's new health commissioner testing positive for COVID-19, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday that schools will remain open and statewide shutdowns are not anticipated.

Hochul announced that Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, who is vaccinated and has had her booster shot, tested positive, a breakthrough case.

The numbers are rising this holiday season, Hochul said: "It's a vertical increase. It's going straight up. . . New Yorkers are having family plans disrupted."

However, she said, this is not March or December 2020. "We are taking it very seriously but we have to meet this moment with action, not fear, and lean into the strength we know we have — vaccinations and boosters."

The state is avoiding a government shutdown by utilizing those tools, she said.

Sunday's number of positive new COVID cases "broke another record" with 23,391, reflecting an increase of nearly 400 percent from a week ago when that number was 6,000, she said.

A total of 60 deaths were reported over the last 24 hours, she said, with 4,020 hospitalized Sunday.

On Long Island, the number of cases per 100,000 as of Monday stood at 112.50.

However, Hochul said, there has been encouraging news from other nations: The severity of the new omicron variant is not what it was, with symptoms, especially among the vaccinated, likely to be minor.

Still, she added, New Yorkers must take steps to ensure the ones they love are with them for next year's holidays.

The numbers, she said, while not as severe, are still trending upward. "We are preparing for the worst."

Looking at vaccinations, more than 3 million New Yorkers have been vaccinated since Dec. 1, with the state close to seeing 95 percent of residents with at least one dose and 82 percent having completed the vaccination series.

Areas that need improvement include children; Hochul urged parents to use the school break to get shots in arms.

On Monday, Hochul also announced an allocation of $65 million to help counties with coronavirus response costs. The state has also been sending out robocalls and text to New Yorkers urging vaccinations and boosters.

Working with the Department of Homeland Security, New York is sending out 6 million masks to county emergency managers for distribution at schools, libraries and other community facilities.

In addition, New York will soon receive 10 million additional, free at-home tests, including 2 million for schools.

Testing numbers are ticking up, Hochul said, with 258,000 tested Sunday.

Also, a new testing portal is coming where New Yorkers can order PCR tests by overnight mail and then, put them back in a prepaid envelope for results within 48 hours.

Seven new testing sites are opening up statewide, with one in Nassau County, she said.

The goal, Hochul said, is to keep children's lives normal. "We are keeping schools open," she said.

Schools will receive testing kits that children can take home in their backpacks, she said.

There has been progress, Hochul said. "It's not all gloom and doom," she added; for example, the number of hospitals with limited capacity is down to 28 from 32.

"We are not going to throw in the towel," she said. "We will not surrender to pandemic fatigue."

She urged New Yorkers not to isolate this holiday season, but to celebrate safely.

"We are resilient," she said. "We can get through this."

Booster shots are the best defense against COVID-19 illnesses as the omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads across the country, officials said.

The omicron variant has been detected in all but a handful of states.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, said Friday the Pfizer and Moderna booster shots work well against the omicron variant and that there's no need for a specific vaccine to fight it.

With reporting by Beth Dalbey