NY state confirms 20 omicron circumstances, 13 in NYC as variant spreads throughout state, Gov. Hochul says

New York state has confirmed 20 circumstances of the omicron variant of Covid-19, with 13 discovered within the New York Metropolis, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced Thursday. 

Hochul mentioned the state expects these case numbers to “proceed to rise,” and famous that there’s group unfold of the brand new variant. 

“At this level we’re ready to say what we have now is group unfold,” the governor mentioned at a press convention in New York Metropolis. “It’s not coming from individuals who have traveled, it’s being unfold in the neighborhood.” 

The announcement comes one week after New York state confirmed its first 5 circumstances of the extremely mutated omicron variant. 

It was first recognized in southern Africa in later November and has since been discovered in additional than 20 U.S. states and 57 international locations the world over, in line with the WHO. Scientists are nonetheless scrambling to reply questions concerning the variant’s severity, transmissibility and influence on vaccine efficacy.

Hochul famous that preliminary proof means that the variant “spreads in a short time” however the state is ready. 

“We’re working very onerous to ensure we have now all of the instruments at our disposal as I’ve talked about,” Hochul mentioned, noting that the state division of well being’s Wadsworth Heart is constant to sequence optimistic circumstances to determine the variant.

The governor added that vaccines proceed provide a level of safety in opposition to extreme illness.

Her remarks come a day after Pfizer and BioNTech launched an preliminary lab examine that discovered two doses of the vaccine confirmed a discount within the means of antibodies to focus on and neutralize the omicron variant. Nonetheless, the examine discovered a 3rd shot will increase antibody safety 25-fold. 

Hochul famous that just about 500,000 booster doses have been offered within the state over the past week, a 50% improve from the earlier week. Dr. Mary Bassett, the New York well being commissioner, inspired New Yorkers to get vaccinated and boosted forward of the vacation season.

“We would like individuals to get absolutely vaccinated,” Bassett mentioned. “If you happen to’re absolutely vaccinated, we would like you to get a booster.”

However Bassett emphasised that the delta variant stays the first driver of excessive case charges and hospitalizations within the state and throughout the U.S. 

“It stays overwhelmingly the dominant pressure in america, actually world wide,” Bassett mentioned. “And we do not know but whether or not omicron will outlive delta.”