New York Governor Kathy Hochul says the state is preparing for a possible new surge of COVID-19 this fall, but she says no new rules, like indoor masking, are anticipated right now. The governor also says she is commencing a long-promised study of the state’s past pandemic policies.
The first COVID-19 briefing in several weeks featured White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ashish Jha, who says the current coronavirus variant, known as BA.5, accounts for 70 to 80 percent of all cases reported, and is highly contagious. It can also reinfect someone who has already had it.
But he says many tools exist to help control the spread and severity of the virus, including the second round of booster shots that are now available.
“If you are over 50 years of age, and if you have not gotten a COVID shot this year [2022],” Jha said. “Then you need to go out and get one now.”
Jha says by autumn, a new vaccine that specifically addresses Omicron and its sub-variants will likely be available.
Hochul says she is also gearing up for the fall, and is launching a “military style” operation for both short-term and long-term planning, if the pandemic should again worsen.
Steps include stockpiling PPE, or personal protective equipment, and distributing 3 million test kits to all of the state’s school districts, so they can begin testing on the first day of school.
Hochul says, for now, no masks will be required in schools or any indoor settings.
“We don’t currently, based on today’s numbers, anticipate the need for masks in classrooms,” said Hochul. “But I’m going to reserve the right to return to this policy.”
The governor says she is, for now, keeping her emergency authorization powers, so that she can act swiftly in case new public health rules need to be imposed, or if the National Guard needs to be deployed once again to hospitals and nursing homes.
Hochul has been criticized by her political opponents for delays over the start of a comprehensive review of the state’s pandemic policies since early 2020.
The governor announced Wednesday that an RFP, or request for proposals, is being posted to create an independent panel to look at what New York did right and wrong during the pandemic. Hochul says New Yorkers need to know “what worked, and what did not work, and why."
The review will include the controversial March 2020 order under former Governor Andrew Cuomo that required nursing homes to take back from hospitals COVID-19 positive patients, a decision critics say led to many more thousands of deaths of residents and staff.
The deadline for the final report is in six months, which comes after the November 8 elections where Hochul is seeking a full term as governor. Jackie Bray, the state’s homeland security commissioner, will lead the review.
The state is also setting up a hotline for New Yorkers infected with COVID-19 to access anti-viral medicines. The number in New York City is 212-COVID19, and 888-TREAT-NY, in the rest of the state.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett also gave an update on another virus that is spreading: monkeypox. New York leads the nation in cases, with more than 600 people sick. Bassett says anyone can get the disease, but outreach is centering on the LGBTQ community, as many cases have occurred between men having sexual encounters.
She says monkeypox is harder to catch and spread than COVID-19. It is not airborne, but is contracted through skin-to-skin contact. In the over 2,100 cases reported nationwide, no one has died. But Bassett says the illness is unpleasant, with fever and painful pustules that last two to four weeks, and can leave permanent scars.
Just like the in the early days of COVID-19 vaccinations, Bassett says there’s a monkeypox vaccine shortage, so for now, doses are being limited to those deemed most at risk.
“We do not at this time have [enough] vaccine to provide vaccinations to everyone who wants or needs a vaccine,” Bassett said.
White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jha says there are only enough doses for around 50 percent of those at risk. Just one company in the world makes the vaccines. Jha says he hopes the federal Food and Drug Administration will allow 760,000 new doses to become available within a week, and he says many will be distributed to New York.
