COVID-19 hospitalizations rise in New York State

Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced new steps to protect people from COVID-19 in the state of New York, following reports of a new variant, BA.2.86. This comes after COVID-19 hospitalizations increased across the state. So far, the new variant has not been detected in New York.

The Department of Health and the Wadsworth Center continue monitoring for and analyzing samples of SARS-CoV-2, as reports emerge of new strains. Analysts at the Wadsworth Center have searched wastewater data from the last six months to confirm the new strain was not detected in New York.