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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that his administration is implementing measures to manage and mitigate the surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state. Health experts have been warning that more people will get infected, hospitalized, and may die due to COVID-19 this winter. Over the past few weeks, the United States has been seeing record-high numbers of people who tested positive for the deadly virus. In fact, the U.S. has 13,536,216 COVID-19 cases and 267,987 already died from the virus as of Monday, November 30, based on data from Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. New York, just like many other states across the nation is experiencing a soaring number of cases and hospitalizations since the cold weather started.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increasing dramatically across New York State

In a press briefing on Monday, Gov. Cuomo said the battle against the novel coronavirus shifted this winter. According to him, “We now have holiday surge on top of the fall surge” of COVID-19 during the 37 days of the holiday season, which started on November 26, Thanksgiving Day. The rates of COVID-19 cases increased from 1.08% in June to 3.55% in November. As a result, the “hospitalization rate increasing dramatically” said the governor. The number of New Yorkers hospitalized due to the virus was 3,532 as of November 29, up from 891 on June 29. “This, my friends, is the problem. We are seeing the rise of hospitalizations all across the state. It is not a situation when it is only happening in one part of the state and then we can shift resources from one part of the state to the other…That is not the case, it is statewide so will have a limited ability to bring resources from upstate to downstate like we did in the spring” or vice versa, said Gov. Cuomo. Additionally, the governor said his administration is currently “worried about overwhelming the hospital system” as the number of COVID-19 cases is expected to continue to increase this holiday season when people gather to celebrate with their families.

New York’s five strategies to fight COVID-19 this winter

To combat COVID-19 this winter, New York will implement five target strategies including:

1. Continuing and strengthening New York’s targeted micro-cluster strategy while managing hospital capacity to enhance and equalize care

Under this new and improved strategy, the New York State Department of Health will identify targeted areas with high infection rates, implement more restrictions to reduce the spread of viral infections in the micro-cluster area, and utilize additional, hospital-related metrics to provide a clearer picture of where a particular zone stands in the battle against the virus. The department will also start implementing emergency hospital measures to prepare the state’s hospital system for an expected surge in hospitalizations.

2. Increasing and balancing testing resources and ability

Gov. Cuomo’s administration will take steps to increase the amount of testing available statewide. It will ensure that the distribution of testing is balanced and sufficient across the different segments of the state’s population from health care workers, essential workers, nursing homes, business professionals down to the general public.

3. Keeping schools open safely

New York State’s schools will remain open as long the infection rate in a school is under control. Under the Winter Plan, the state will focus on keeping K-8 and Special Education schools open and will do safely by establishing sustainable and ongoing testing of students for COVID-19.

4. Preventing viral spreads from small gatherings

Gov. Cuomo is encouraging New Yorkers to remember that COVID is the Grinch this holiday season and to observe behavioral shifts to prevent the spread of the virus.  The state is limiting gatherings to less than 10 people and urging people to wear masks.