Omicron on the rise: COVID update December 16

Covid-19 numbers continue to soar globally as the Omicron variant takes root, with New York and New Jersey leading the way in new testing positives. A top advisor to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Dr. Jay Varma, said this in a Twitter post earlier today: “Um, we’ve never seen this before in NYC,” citing a doubling of positive test results over a three-day period.

Reports this afternoon show more than 70 players in the National Football League currently sidelined with Covid-19; around the world, officials fear new record daily hospitalization rates even if the variant causes less severe disease.

The latest information from the Otsego County Health Department shows:

• 355 active cases
• 63 new cases
•  11 hospitalized
•  0 new deaths reported
• 8.9% seven-day average percentage positive

Otsego County and all of New York State remains under an indoor-mask mandate from Governor Kathy Hochul, with exceptions under certain conditions when proof of vaccination is required for entry to an indoor public facility. Read more about New York State’s mask requirement at this link.