New York smashes its COVID record AGAIN with 44,431 new cases recorded in 24 hours
New York state records 44,431 cases of Covid in a single day and hospitalizations rise: Gov. Hochul cuts isolation time for vaccinated critical care workers with breakthrough infections to five days
- City’s latest record was hit on Christmas Eve
- On December 23, New York recorded 38,835 cases
- That was up by almost 10,000 from December 22
- Hospitalizations have spiked by 5% in 24 hours, to 4,744
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
New York shattered its COVID cases record for the third day running, recording an enormous 44,431 new cases on Christmas Eve.
The numbers were shared by State Governor Kathy Hochul at a Friday morning press conference. She blamed the huge spike on the Omicron variant, estimated to be behind 92% of new infections in the Empire State, and said: ‘This is a very, very contagious variant.’
But Hochul also struck a note of optimism, insisting: This is not Delta. This is Omicron, which thus far has demonstrated that it’s not as severe in its impact. This is not the same situation we had in March 2020 or even last winter’s surge. We’ve had more testing. We’ve had more opportunities.’
Hochul also revealed that COVID hospitalizations rose by five per cent in a day, and now sit at 4,744. But the governor highlighted that the figure is far fewer than the 7,000 who were hospitalized with the virus during Christmas 2020.
On Friday, Hochul also said that essential workers in New York now only have to isolate for five days after they test positive for COVID if they’re vaccinated and have suffered a so-called breakthrough infection. She says she is doing so to try and tackle staffing shortages blamed on current 10 day isolation rules.
The new rule applies to fully vaccinated workers who are asymptomatic, as well as those who suffered mild symptoms, and have not suffered a fever for at least 72 hours.
NY Governor Kathy Hochul is pictured announcing the latest record-breaking COVID figures on Christmas Eve
Hochul also announced her plans to keep public schools open by using home testing kids
She outlined new booster-focused guidelines to protect elderly residents of care homes
Hochul also revealed that all visitors to prisons and jails must have been fully-vaccinated or received a recent negative COVID test in an attempt to keep inmates safe.
People line up for a COVID testing mobile clinic in Harlem on Christmas Eve, amid record-breaking coronavirus diagnoses across the Empire State
Hochul’s announcement came around 18 hours after her Thursday evening update, which saw 38,835 new COVID diagnoses across the Empire State, a record at the time, and up by 10,000 cases from December 22, when 28,924 infections were recorded.
New York is once again America’s COVID epicenter, although hospitalizations remain far lower than they were at the height of the first wave in Spring 2020.
Back then, around 26 per cent of all people in New York City who tested positive for COVID were admitted to hospital. Now just 2.1 people per 100,000 end up requiring medical treatment.
Developing story, check back for updates
