New York health officials are monitoring the emergence of the Omicron variant of coronavirus. While no Omicron cases have yet been identified in the state, the governor says they may likely end up here. Governor Kathy Hochul says people should continue to take precautionary measures, including wearing a mask in indoor public places, washing your hands, getting tested, and getting a flu shot…
The governor declared a State of Emergency Friday to help hospitals struggling with capacity and staffing shortage issues in the event of potential spikes in COVID-19. The Department of Health may limit non-essential, non-urgent procedures. Those new protocols could begin on Friday. The Omicron coronavirus variant was announced late last week by South Africa’s health minister. CNN reported it appears to be spreading rapidly in parts of South Africa, prompting several nations, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Japan and Israel, to ban travel from South Africa and surrounding nations.