NY Health Officials Declare Flu 'Widespread' In State

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published December 28, 2016 at 4:27 PM EST

State health officials have declared the flu to be widespread and prevalent in New York state.

The Department of Health says cases of the flu have been confirmed in 39 counties and in all five boroughs of New York City. Some 658 flu-related hospitalizations have been reported so far this flu season.

An average of 9,800 hospitalizations were reported in the last three flu seasons.

The declaration announced Wednesday means that health care workers who have not been vaccinated against the flu must wear masks when they're around patients.

Health Commissioner Howard Zucker says the flu vaccine remains the "best way" to avoid the virus.

Flu season typically runs from October through May.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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