omicron variant

The 7-day average positivity rate for Onondaga County has risen from two months ago.

While the state starts to vaccinate using Omicron variant vaccine boosters, children 5 to 11 are now eligible for the next Pfizer-BioNTechCOVID-19 vaccine/booster as of August 31st.

New York state Gov. Hochul announces required masking is now optional within certain public spaces.

Two Upstate University Hospital doctors discuss the new dominant variants and advise New Yorkers on how to stay safe.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant BA.2 is showing up in testing for the virus in New York. But she said so far, it is not spreading as fast as it has in Europe and the United Kingdom.

Onondaga County officials are trying to clear up confusion about changing COVID-19 contact tracing protocols as the number of new cases continues to rise. On December 31st, the county said it would no longer be calling individuals to trace infections. The state followed suit Tuesday.

Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled what her administration is calling Surge 2.0, a plan to deal with the current spike in coronavirus omicron cases. Her plan includes increased testing, mask mandates, keeping schools open, minimizing illness and death.

New York’s Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett has tested positive for COVID-19, Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a briefing that documented the worsening situation in the state as the omicron variant multiplies. Hochul says Dr. Bassett is experiencing mild symptoms and is self isolating for the next several days.

Concerns about the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19 are growing, as the more contagious version of the virus is beginning to take hold in New York. The state reported 21,000 new cases on Thursday, up more than 40% from the day before, and the highest single day case total since the pandemic began.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is warning that the state could face rapidly rising rates of COVID-19 in the coming weeks, based on early data and trends in Europe, where waves of the disease have often preceded surges in the U.S.