NEW YORK (WABC) – New York is expected to enter a high level of warning about COVID-19 in the coming days, and health officials strongly recommend wearing masks in public indoor.
The city is currently at a medium level of concern, but this is expected to change as the number of cases increases.
New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a council Monday urging all residents to use high-quality masks – such as KN95 and KF94 masks and N95 respirators – when indoors and in public, including grocery stores, building lobbies , offices, shops and other common or shared spaces where people can interact, such as toilets, corridors, elevators and meeting rooms.
The Council notes the particular importance of people at high risk of serious illness and death, namely those over 65 who have not been vaccinated.
Map: 7-day moving percentages of positivity by postal code:
The Health Department advises people at high risk of serious illness due to a basic medical condition, the elderly and people who have not been vaccinated, including children under the age of five who are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, to avoid overcrowding. places and insignificant gatherings, especially indoors.
In addition, the council noted that the impact of COVID-19 transmission was higher in conditions with large numbers of unvaccinated people.
Despite the steady rise in COVID-19 infections across the state, New York City Mayor Eric Adams insisted Monday that the city is not yet ready to renew its mandate for an indoor mask.
“We are not at this moment yet,” he said. “We are not doing anything at the moment except calling on New Yorkers while you are indoors in great social conditions. We will not panic. We will continue to be prepared.”
The infection rate in the city has been steadily rising for more than two months, and this week New York reported its highest average number of new infections since late January.
Adams stressed that even with the increase, the city is in a different place than it was at the beginning of the pandemic, with key tools now available to help dull the effects of the virus.
“We have antivirals now, we didn’t have them before,” he said. “We have more tools, so we don’t have to fight the war we had before. It’s a new war. And we will use all those tools to do it.”
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At the state level, New York Governor Katie Hochul said Monday that she continues to work with federal and government officials to ensure the state is prepared for any kind of leap that may occur in the coming months.
Today, I spoke with COVID-19 White House Coordinator Dr. Ashish Ja about the state of the pandemic and the administration’s preparatory plans to ensure that countries have the resources, supplies and distribution networks needed to manage potential jumps across the board. country and fall this summer, “Hochul said in a press release.
Adams recently took action to boost the city’s readiness for COVID-19 and prepare New Yorkers for any future waves by announcing the distribution of an additional 16.5 million home tests for COVID-19 and 1 million high-quality masks next month. of 1,600 public schools and more than 1,000 community organizations, libraries, cultural institutions, houses of worship and selected services participating in the city’s home test distribution program.
Dissemination efforts are joining other measures to blunt the worst effects of the current wave, including the spread of 35,000 courses of COVID-19 treatment to date.
The city has also distributed 20 million home tests to schools and participating community organizations so far, which means that this additional influx of tests will bring the total number of distributed tests at home to over 36 million. In addition, eligible New Yorkers are encouraged to take advantage of free home delivery of COVID-19 treatments.
“It’s never been easier for New Yorkers to get a free test at home, a high-quality mask or access to treatments for COVID-19 in New York,” Adams said. “Tests and masks at home provide reliable and convenient ways for New Yorkers to confidently and safely protect themselves and others and allow them to enjoy our city. I encourage all New Yorkers to go out and take a free test at home as soon as they can to stay prepared, disguise themselves indoors and take advantage of the life-saving treatments we now have available to fight the virus. These combined tools are not only a blessing we didn’t have access to before, but they will also allow us to fight this disease in the future instead of in the past. “
Through community partnerships, Test & Trace has distributed 2.3 million tests and currently maintains a stockpile of tens of millions of tests that can be distributed quickly if needed.
Dissemination of tests at home through the Test & Trace network of 192 prominent cultural sites and library branches brings critical resources for self-testing in areas of need in familiar places in all five neighborhoods. Test & Trace delivers weekly home tests to participating cultural sites and libraries, where they are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
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In addition, more than 850 community and religious organizations – including 243 places of worship – have registered to regularly distribute home tests. Any New York-based community organization that would like to participate as a partner in distributing tests at home is encouraged to register online.
New Yorkers can find the most convenient place for them and their workplace to distribute tests at home by visiting the COVID-19 test page in the city. New Yorkers with disabilities who need help or have questions about home test kits should call 311. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing and use American Sign Language can call 646 by videophone. 396-5830.
New Yorkers who test positive through a home test can call 212-COVID19 to connect to resources such as free food and care packages. Care packages include personal protective equipment (PPE) for a three-quarantine household, two rapid antigen tests at home, and other essentials to help New Yorkers isolate themselves safely.
Many COVID-19 treatments are available for people 12 years of age and older and can be delivered free of charge to New Yorkers’ homes. For more information on the treatment of COVID-19, please call 212-COVID19 and press 9 or visit nyc.gov/health/covidtreatments.
Calling 212-COVID19 provides New Yorkers with an immediate contact with a clinician who can refer them to monoclonal antibody treatment or prescribe antiviral drugs, such as Paxlovid, and arrange for them to be delivered to their home the same day for free.
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