New Mandates Coming As Delta Variant Remains A Concern: Hochul

NEW YORK — With the delta variant still a concern, new vaccination mandates are coming soon, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday.

Hochul gave a COVID-19 update, noting that the state's seven-day positivity rate stands at 2.34 percent, with 38 deaths reported Monday. Monday's positivity rate was 2.72 percent, with 2,231 patients hospitalized, 519 in intensive care units statewide, and 288 intubated. A total of 46,455 vaccine doses were administered over the last 24 hours, she said.

Long Island's positivity rate as of Monday was 2.82 percent, down from 3.68 percent on Sept. 21 and 3.30 percent on Sept. 28, Hochul said. On Long Island, a total of 34 percent of hospital beds and 27 percent of hospital beds are available.

Statewide, 34 percent of hospital beds of hospital beds and 22 percent of ICU beds are available.

New mandates are coming: As of Oct. 7, all adult care facility staff must be vaccinated; currently, 92 percent of those workers have been vaccinated, Hochul said.

And, as of Nov. 1, workers at Office of Mental Health and Office for People with Developmental Disabilities inpatient hospitals must be vaccinated with weekly testing beginning Oct. 12 for the unvaccinated.

"Our focus remains keeping kids in schools, returning people to work, and reopening New York safely," Hochul said. "We all know the best way to ensure our continued progress is to get more shots in arms."

A total percentage of 84.8 percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older have had at least one vaccine dose; 76 percent have a completed vaccine series, Hochul said.

The delta variant is still an issue for people who have been vaccinated, accounting for 0.08 percent of breakthrough cases this week, up from 0.7 percent last week. Of those, 0.06 percent are hospitalized, compared to 0.05 percent last week, she said.

Also, it has now been determined that pregnant women who get COVID-19 are at a higher risk of severe illness and preterm birth, Hochul said. Women who are pregnant or who want to get pregnant should get a vaccine, she said.

The thought of last year's fall and winter surge, due to gatherings, is "what keeps me up at night," Hochul said. Unvaccinated individuals face a 10 times greater risk of serious illness, she said. She urged those who are currently eligibile to get booster shots and said she was advocating for approvals for both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters.

To pediatricians, Hochul said, "Get ready." She asked pediatricians to enroll so when the green light is given to vaccinate children, there is no delay.

Should the numbers continue to go up, additional mandates and stricter measures could be coming, she said.

"We know vaccinations and mandates work," Hochul said. "It's not my favorite thing to do —but sometimes it's necessary."