The number of coronavirus hospitalizations keeps climbing in New York State and it’s now at its highest since very early in the pandemic. There are more than 95 hundred COVID related hospitalizations statewide, higher than last winter’s surge. Governor Kathy Hochul says this is no surprise coming off the holidays.
“What happens when humans gather. They spread the virus. We fully anticipate on top of the surge that is already been ongoing, that there is going to be another wave that’s occurring as a result of these holidays.”
She doesn’t think a true decline in the surge will happen until after the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the state now projects that omicron represents 95 percent of the cases statewide, a month after Hochul announced the first detected case of the strain.
Meanwhile, New York City students are back to school today following the winter break with the coronavirus surge putting a strain on staffing levels. Schools Chancellor David Banks says the city is opening a Department of Education COVID Command Center where education leaders can go for COVID concerns.
“Where principals and district leadership can immediately address and escalate any issues they need help with including ensuring that our buildings have the staff that they need to safely operate.”
Officials spent the weekend putting COVID test kits in all classrooms. Mayor Eric Adams says he understands there’s questions about testing and staffing levels but is determined to keep schools open. He applauds schools for adapting by opening up gyms and auditoriums for students when schools are short on staff. He says those moves have to be made to get through the winter COVID surge.