An MTA employee wears a mask on the subway after the New York and New Jersey Port Authority and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) issued a mandatory coronavirus vaccination or weekly test mandate for employees in New York City, New York, on 2nd, 2021.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
New York City issued a recommendation on Monday strongly recommending that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors at all times in public places as they are concerned about the new, highly mutated strain of the coronavirus called Omicron.
“I am also issuing a recommendation from the commissioners strongly recommending that all New Yorkers wear a mask at all times, indoors and in public spaces. Like in your grocery store or in construction lobbies, offices and retail stores ”, Dr. Dave Chokshi, commissioner for the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told reporters during an update on the coronavirus situation.
Outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chokshi said New York City has not yet identified any cases of Omicron. Both emphasized that vaccinations remain the most important tool in the fight against Covid-19.
“At the moment there are no Omicron cases here in New York City. It is very likely that there are, but at the moment there are no cases,” de Blasio said during the update. “All of our focus will again be on vaccination. For all we know, vaccination is critical to any strategy to combat Omicron.”
Chokshi said it will likely be a matter of days before Omicron is discovered in New York City. He said the city has a strong surveillance system that Omicron can quickly identify when it arrives.
The World Health Organization warned in a technical paper published on Sunday that Omicron poses a “very high” global risk with a high probability of further transmission. The variant has more than 30 mutations on the spike protein, which binds to human cells. According to the WHO, some of the mutations are associated with higher transmission and reduced antibody protection.
De Blasio encouraged parents to vaccinate their children between the ages of 5 and 11. He also urged New Yorkers to get their booster vaccinations as soon as possible. The mayor doubled the city’s vaccine mandates and expanded the requirements to 102,000 people working in childcare and early intervention programs. The compliance deadline is December 20th
The vaccination rate in New York City is comparatively high, with 88% of adults in the city receiving at least one dose. However, only 16% of children between the ages of 5 and 11 received an injection. The city has so far given more than 943,000 booster vaccinations.
Covid infections are increasing in New York City, with an average of around 1,400 new cases per day, according to the city’s health department.
