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CDC advisers authorize Pfizer and Moderna booster shots for all adults
A CDC advisory panel has unanimously recommended Pfizer and Moderna's COVID booster shots for all Americans 18 and older.
ALBANY, N.Y. - New York is continuing to see an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in November as the holiday season approaches, according to the latest state data released Saturday.
Nearly 6,100 people a day are now testing positive for COVID-19 in New York — up 22% from roughly 5,000 for the seven days through Nov. 11.
That's the highest seven-day average since mid-April.
Meanwhile, the latest federal data show more then two-thirds of New Yorkers are fully vaccinated.
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"There is one simple solution to ensure New Yorkers can enjoy a safe holiday season - get vaccinated if you haven’t already and get a booster shot if you have," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a Saturday statement.
The vast majority of the state's 62 counties are seeing sharp upticks in new COVID-19 positives: from a 32% increase in cases over the seven days through Thursday on Long Island, to a 37% increase in Niagara County in western New York.
And hospitals in New York reported 2,249 confirmed COVID-19 patients as of Friday, up 20% from the previous Friday.
Hospitalization rates are flat in some communities including Manhattan and Albany.
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But much of the state, from Saratoga to Erie County, is also seeing sharp increases in hospitalizations. Saratoga, for example, is up to 35 patients with confirmed COVID-19, nearly triple from 12 patients as of Friday Nov. 12.
In Central New York, Onondaga County is up to 128 patients — a 33% increase.
Monroe County, in the Finger Lakes, is up to 244 patients, up 30%.
And hospitals in Erie County reports 227 patients, a 23% increase.
Hochul earlier this week warned that a continued uptick in COVID-19 rates could mean New Yorkers will again face more virus protocols in high-risk communities.
But the governor hasn't laid out any specific protocols that she could reinstitute, and she hasn't offered a threshold for how high rates could rise before she'll act.
Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who's running for governor, released a statement Saturday calling on Hochul to address the spike.
She pointed out that large swaths of the state — including much of central, western and Northern New York — are seeing higher hospitalization levels than at this point in 2020.
"It is time to act now to save lives," James stated. "Anything short of bold action is unacceptable."