Right here we go once more.
Mayor Eric Adams is urging New Yorkers to masks up indoors amid a spike in coronavirus, flu and respiratory syncytial an infection instances.
“When COVID-19 hit New York Metropolis nearly three years in the past, New Yorkers seemed out for one another and adopted the recommendation of our well being specialists,” Adams mentioned Tuesday.
“With the vacation season in full swing and instances of COVID-19, flu, and RSV rising, we're asking New Yorkers to guard themselves and their family members as soon as once more. Masks up, get examined, get handled in case you’re eligible, and, in case you haven’t gotten your flu shot or your COVID-19 booster, we encourage you to roll up your sleeve.”
Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli, a staunch opponent of masks mandates, mentioned Metropolis Corridor’s advisory is OK — to some extent.
“You need to put on a masks? Fantastic. However I don't need to return down the slippery slope of a masks mandate. There’s no urge for food for it,” mentioned Borelli, the council’s Republican Minority Chief.
“The COVID pandemic is nicely in my rearview mirror.”
He additionally famous those that are vaccinated needs to be in good stead.
The final masks mandate for the general public transit system was lifted by Gov. Kathy Hochul in September, when widespread non-compliance adopted COVID’s fade as a critical well being concern.
Adams lifted masks mandates in faculties in March.
The mayor’s new mask-up message was strengthened by metropolis well being officers monitoring will increase in instances of COVID, flu and RSV.
The push additionally comes as Hochul and the state Well being Division reported 94 New Yorkers across the state died from COVID-19 over a 3 day reporting interval — from Saturday by Monday. That’s greater than 30 a day, a excessive quantity for a post-pandemic interval.
Over the previous month, town’s seven-day common of confirmed and possible instances of COVID-19 elevated, as did instances of RSV, metropolis well being officers mentioned. Knowledge exhibits flu instances within the metropolis this yr are already greater than they have been through the peak of the final 4 flu seasons.
The state Well being Division reported the variety of flu instances jumped by 19% for the week ending Dec. 10 in contrast with the prior week.
Well being Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan lately issued a well being advisory recommending metropolis residents use high-quality masks when indoors and in crowded outside settings.
He mentioned sporting masks — whereas not obligatory — was particularly necessary for many who are themselves, or are assembly others, at an elevated danger for problems from COVID, RSV or the flu — like folks 65 and older or who're immunocompromised.
Public well being specialists mentioned town is taking the best strategy by prodding New Yorkers to mask-up through the holidays.
“Individuals might have been letting their guard down a bit just a little too quickly. The virus continues to be circulating. There might be penalties,” mentioned Dr. Ayman El-Mohandes, dean of CUNY’s Graduate Faculty of Public Well being.
“We have to study our lesson. We don’t need folks getting sick through the holidays.”
Well being officers additionally urge staying up-to-date with vaccinations, getting examined if not feeling nicely and staying dwelling when sick.
The town additionally introduced flu and RSV testing, in addition to Tamiflu prescriptions, are actually obtainable at 50 Well being + Hospitals’ Take a look at to Deal with models.
And starting this week, up to date COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines might be obtainable to youngsters from six months to 4 years previous at the entire metropolis’s 11 public hospitals, officers mentioned.
New Yorkers can current proof of a optimistic COVID check — together with at-home outcomes and people from an out of doors testing supplier — in any respect cellular metropolis models to be evaluated and arrange for Paxlovid, the antiviral used to deal with COVID.
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