New York Governor Kathy Hochul, saying she is very concerned with the higher rate of COVID-19 transmission in western New York and other upstate regions, is expanding eligibility for booster shots to any adult in a high transmission area who feels that they need one.
Hochul gave a briefing in Buffalo, where the virus transmission rate is above 8 percent. The Finger Lakes region, which includes the city of Rochester, has an even higher rate of nearly 8.5 percent. Much of the rest of upstate New York has a positivity rate of 5 percent or more, higher than it was in the fall of 2020.
Hochul says the solution is to get more people vaccinated. Despite the widespread availability of the vaccine, just under 67 percent of New York state residents are fully vaccinated. The vast majority of those testing positive for the virus are unvaccinated.
For those who have already received their vaccine, Hochul is expanding eligibility for booster shots. She says any adult who lives in a high transmission area, including western New York, and feels they need the shot, are now allowed to receive one. The governor’s advice goes further than the current federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that booster shots be limited to those over 65, or who have serious underlying health conditions.
“There is not a clear metric on this that has been given to us by the CDC,” Hochul said. “So I am telling you, as governor, that anything over a 4 or 5 percent transmission rate is unacceptably high and is considered a risk area.”
New Yorkers over 65 have been eligible for booster shots for several weeks, but Hochul says only 47 percent of seniors so far have received one.
The governor says there’s another worry. The rate of breakthrough infections among vaccinated New Yorkers is also on the rise, though still low. About 1.1 percent of vaccinated individuals tested positive for the virus last week. That rose to 1.2 percent this week.
In New York City, where masks are mandatory at indoor public settings, and proof of vaccination is required for admission to theaters, art museums and restaurants, the positivity rate for COVID has been lower, at about 1 percent.
“That has made a profound difference in those communities,” Hochul said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed the mandates.
Hochul says, for now, she is not contemplating similar statewide rules and is leaving it up to local governments to decide what’s best for their community. But she recommends that at-home holiday gatherings, beginning with Thanksgiving next week, everyone should be vaccinated and wear a mask unless they are directly eating and drinking.
Vermont is also instituting a universal COVID-19 booster program for all adults. The governor’s office says those who received the Johnson and Johnson shot are eligible for a booster two months later. For Moderna and Pfizer, six months must pass. Governor Phil Scott’s office said on Wednesday that 50 percent of Vermonters over the age of 65 have received a booster. Walk-ins are welcome at state-run vaccination sites while appointments can be made online at Health-Vermont-dot-gov. Legislative leaders in Vermont have called on Scott to reimpose a state of emergency amid rising COVID cases, but the Republican has refused.
