
New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul said that they are preparing for a Covid-19 surge in January as the state reports a new record high of 67,000 positive cases on Tuesday and a steady increase in hospitalizations over the last week.
Hochul announced the large amount of new positive cases during a news conference Wednesday afternoon, but gave the context that this was from approximately 362,000 total tests.
She also announced 6,700 Covid-19-related hospitalizations were reported on Tuesday, which is up about 10% from the 6,173 hospitalizations reported on Monday. The state’s daily percent positivity is currently at 18.5% while the seven-day average is 14.61%, a release from Hochul's office said.
"We are basically preparing for a January surge," Hochul said. "We know it's coming and we are naive to think it won't."
Hochul said that hospitalizations are down from the same time last year, but are still an "area of concern." Despite this, only 25 hospitals have had to suspend elective procedures, and the National Guard is helping fill in staffing gaps, she said.
The governor also announced $78 million in federal funding to help protect vulnerable communities with Covid-19. Local governments and non-profits can apply for grants to get added protection in areas of their community, like farmworkers or at a senior citizen center.