New York is, once again, on lockdown. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the state, as well as the threat of the omicron variant.
The variant was first discovered in South Africa. Most recently, two cases were found in the United Kingdom. The omicron variant is the first COVID-19 strain of concern since delta variant -- the only variant of concern, as classified by the CDC, which was twice as infectious as the original strain. It is currently unknown the infectiousness of the omicron variant.
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While the omicron variant has yet to be detected in the state, Hochul signed an executive order allowing the state health department to limit non-essential, non-urgent procedures at facilities, and sanctions to acquire critical supplies more quickly. The order is set to take effect Dec. 3 and will be re-assessed come Jan. 15, based on the situation.
Winter has already had an impact on the spikes of COVID-19 cases everywhere. The cold has led to factors such as people staying indoors, as well as holiday traveling, as well as a greater sense of security against the virus compared to last winter.
“We continue to see warning signs of spikes this upcoming winter, and while the new omicron variant has yet to be detected in New York state, it’s coming,” Hochul said.
President Biden has also issued new travel restrictions on South African countries in an effort to slow down the spread of the variant.
As of Nov 26th, 594,299 new cases were reported worldwide. However, vaccinations have helped to slow down the number of cases reported, compared to November 2020 where over 2 million new cases were reported.
The CDC said on Friday that no cases of the omicron variant have been identified in the States thus far.