The figure breaks the record for one-day positive COVID test results that were announced on Friday.
The 21,908 positive COVID test results are out of the 290,930 results reported – equivalent to a 7.53% positivity rate. More than half of the positive cases are in New York City.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has insisted that new comprehensive schools or businesses will not close despite a rise in COVID-19 cases.
“We’re in such a better position than most of the country, but the key is more, more and more vaccinations. So we’re going to aggressively implement these mandates. We’re sending inspectors, we have to People need to do this, we need to follow all these orders. The more we vaccinate, the more we can get through this and the bigger danger here is shutdowns and restrictions,” de Blasio said on Friday. told to WNYC.
On Saturday, de Blasio said on Twitter that the city reported 5,263 new cases and 214 new hospitalizations on Friday.
The mayor last week announced the most aggressive vaccine mandate in the country, which requires private sector workers to be vaccinated by December 27.
Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochul said New York state reported 21,027 positive test results on Thursday, setting a new single-day reporting record.
“The winter surge in COVID-19 cases is a reminder that the pandemic is not over yet and we must take extra care to keep ourselves and each other safe,” Hochul said. “Vaccines are still our best weapon to defeat the virus and make sure we’re protected against serious illness. If you haven’t gotten the shot yet and have a booster, put on a mask and wash your hands.”
Late Friday, Hochul announced that more than 40 new pop-up vaccination sites would open across the state in the coming weeks.
In New York City, lines stretched across the block for coronavirus testing, with some people waiting for hours for their turn.
Three schools in the city were forced to close temporarily due to the rising numbers, bringing the total to four.
Read also | ‘We’ve never seen it before’: NYC COVID-19 positivity rate nearly doubles in 3 days
Yet the Education Department says that the closure of four schools is actually less. There are plans to reopen them after the winter break on January 3.
“We do not hesitate to take action to keep school communities safe and our multi-pronged approach to safety allows us to respond quickly and prevent the spread. All school staff staff are vaccinated and every student will have a tool to ensure live, continuous learning,” the DoE said.
The three schools now closed include: Eagle Academy for Young Men II in Brooklyn, PS 18 in the Bronx, and the Robert E. Peary School.
In the past two weeks, 22% have been hospitalized in New York, 71% in Connecticut and 66% in New Jersey. Still, Mayor Bill de Blasio sought to ease concerns regarding business and school closures.
NYC hospitalization rates by vaccination status:
“No, no, no,” he said when asked about the possibility. “It’s not March of 2020.”
He cited vaccine and booster rates as well as the potential impact on the economy.
“We are one of the most vaccinated places in the United States,” he said. “The big danger is shutdowns and restrictions, because it will really destroy people’s livelihoods in many ways … (with) whatever people are going through, it will be painful. We need to focus on vaccination, Fundamentally, use this mandate completely. It’s not just here, but across the country.”
Related | Broadway shows canceled performance, Met Opera needs booster shots
De Blasio on Thursday detailed a six-pronged approach to taking out Omicron in New York City.
Those measures include:
,issuing health advisories With guidance on keeping safe including wearing masks, recommendations for vaccinations, tests and booster shots
– Increase testing capacity with more mobile sites and extended hours of operation while doubling at brick and mortar sites as well as creating new fixed sites
10 lakh KN95 masks distributed in health centers and clinics
– Delivering half a million rapid tests at home, all free
–double whammy on boosters, going aggressive with paid media campaigns to encourage everyone who deserves boosters
– Reducing inspections to enforce all existing orders
Dr. Jay Varma, a senior health advisor to de Blasio, said the current spike is indicative of the rapid spread of the omicron variant and its ability to evade immunity.
“Um, we’ve never seen this in #NYC before,” he tweeted.
He further said that Omicron was developing both the vaccine and virus-induced immunity “unlike any earlier.”
“This is the only explanation for the dramatic jump in positivity,” he wrote. “For now the consensus (but subject to change) is that immunity *against serious disease* should be far superior.”
Cases per capita by vaccination status:
Much is still unknown about the severity of Omicron, but at this point, it appears to spread more easily, although thankfully the cases appear to be more mild at this point.
New York Governor Cathy Hochul warned that “people are underestimating the power of Omicron” and urged common sense, mask-wearing and booster shots before winter.
“Has anyone heard anything I said today about what position we are in?” he said. “It’s a crisis. It’s a health care crisis, and people are going to die. It’s not an exaggeration.”
Hochul said she anticipates “a very serious situation” and “we are in for a very rough ride this winter” with the Omicron version.
She also criticized “some outside counties that have declared their resistance to comply with health laws.”
NYC COVID Mortality Rates by Vaccination Status:
Related | Some counties refuse to implement new NY mask mandate
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