Amid rising coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams said the city will distribute 6.3 million free at-home COVID tests, and is again recommending masks be worn by all people when inside public spaces.
The uptick in COVID cases is due to the BA.2 variant, said Dr. Ashwin Vasan, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
“Cases are rising, and we expect to see a steady increase in transmission as BA.2 continues to circulate around the city,” he said. “We’ve all been through so much the last couple years, and we need every tool available to us. It’s crucial we all take the steps we know work to keep us safe and healthy, like getting vaccinated, boosted, tested, and wearing masks in settings where the vaccination status of those around you are unknown.”
For this reason, the mayor and Vasan are recommending New Yorkers wear masks when inside public spaces. However, the mayor didn’t make this an official mandate, simply a recommendation.
‘HOLD OFF’ ON LIFTING MASK MANDATE FOR YOUNGEST NEW YORKERS
While the mask recommendation is for New Yorkers of all ages, Adams said he wants to “hold off” on lifting the mask mandate for the city’s youngest students -- 2 to 4 years olds, which was slated to occur on Monday.
“We need to prepare, not panic. ...There are many risks we have to overcome with COVID, but we remain committed to assistance and responding as needed in New York City,” Adams said.
“We’re not going to sit around and wait; we’re going to be aggressive in our response. And as I say over and over again, ‘GSD,’ get stuff done.,” said Adams.
“...We’re going to be distributing 6.3 million free at home tests. ...We have an amazing team of men and women who are working around the clock to get this done. They [the at-home tests] will be provided to over 2,500 community organizations, libraries, cultural institution and houses of worship,” he added.
CASES RISING ACROSS THE CITY
This has led city officials to defer to the color-coded “COVID-19 Community Levels” system from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We’re seeing cases rise across the city,” said Vasan. “You may recall we published a COVID color coded risk alert system a couple of weeks ago, which really looks at a combination of factors -- case thresholds, case transmission being one; hospitalization rate being another; bed occupancy space in our healthcare system being a third data point. We’re seeing cases rise across the city, and if they continue on this trajectory, we expect to move into a higher risk category in a matter of weeks.”
CALLING ON CONGRESS
Adams and city health leaders also called on all members of Congress to appropriate more than $15 billion in emergency funding for COVID-19. While New York City will continue providing testing and vaccine services to New Yorkers at no cost through NYC Health + Hospitals, “gridlock in Washington, DC has threatened the health of communities across New York and the rest of the nation,” Adams said.
Earlier this week, Adams met with the New York City congressional delegation and urged them to push for immediate passage of the COVID-19 aid package. As the city and the nation wait for action from certain members of Congress, Adams said New York is taking action to bolster preparedness efforts by distributing the at-home tests.
Adams said the more than $15 billion in funding Congress has yet to authorize has the potential to:
- Impact the federal supply of vaccines and treatments;
- Eliminate federal reimbursement to private providers for vaccination, testing, and outpatient treatment provided to uninsured people;
- Reduce immediate access to services for testing, treatment, and vaccination, which could lead to delays in testing and care; and
- Put the country at risk of losing its ability to develop and distribute vaccines for new variants in the future.
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