Omicron Variant Spikes From 2% To 13% In 1 Week In NY Area
LONG ISLAND, NY — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that 38 cases of the omicron variant have been identified in New York — including four in Suffolk and three in Nassau County — but experts warned Wednesday that a wave of COVID-19 cases could be coming as both a coupling of the delta and omicron variants combined with the flu season and holiday gatherings could create a perfect storm.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday that the highly contagious omicron variant could now represent 13 percent of all COVID-19 cases in New York and New Jersey.
The World Health Organization classified omicron as a variant of concern on November 26, and the omicron variant was first confirmed in New York State on December 2. Of samples of SARS-CoV-2 collected between November 21 and December 4, 1.1 percent were the omicron variant, state data indicates.
Between December 5 and December 11, CDC’s program for HHS Region 2 — including New York, New Jersey, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico — estimated that 13.1 percent of samples were the omicron variant, compared to 2.0 percent in the previous one-week period, state data indicated.
While Hochul imposed a statewide, short-term mask mandate Monday, with local elected officials charged with imposing the new rules, not all are eager to comply. The mandate means individuals must either show proof of vaccination or wear a mask in public spaces including restaurants, arenas, stores, offices, theaters, and gyms.
Hochul said she will re-evaluate the situation on Jan. 15 and said the new measure was enacted to protect against the holiday surge and a potential surge in hospitalizations that she says keeps her up at night.
On Long Island this week, Nassau County Executive-elect Bruce Blakeman said that he would not enforce a new state mandate on mask and vaccine requirements in indoor public areas — while Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has said the focus will remain on education and guidance.
Hochul reminded that Laura Curran is currently still Nassau County Executive and is supportive of the mask mandate measure. Also, she said, 73 percent of New York State is represented by leadership that supports the mandate and she hopes the newly elected, when taking the oath of office, will "follow suit."
It is also up to individuals to do the right thing and get vaccinated, Hochul said.
Hochul also reserved the right to impose more restrictions if the situation worsens, cases rise, and hospital capacity becomes a more dramatic concern.
Currently, omicron makes up about 3 percent of the cases across the country, federal officials said.
On the second day of the newly-imposed statewide mask mandate Tuesday, Hochul said the measure might not have been necessary at all if more New Yorkers had just heeded the call to get vaccinated.
Hochul said that the numbers confirm that a predicted holiday surge has come to fruition, with the number of cases per 100,000 on a seven-day average spiking 58 percent since Thanksgiving, up from 43 percent last week.
When asked why "fully tested" is not defined as two vaccinations plus a booster, Hochul said the approach has been rational, with a realization that 30 percent of New Yorkers still need their first shot; that definition change, to include the booster, will likely come later, she said.
With reporting by Jeff Arnold.
This article originally appeared on the Riverhead Patch
