State of emergency issued in New York to help increase hospital capacity.
NEW YORK (WABC) – Governor Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency in New York State to help increase hospital capacity and address staff shortages ahead of potential spikes in COVID cases this winter.
Hochul announced the plan on Friday, which will allow the Health Department to limit non-essential and non-urgent procedures for hospitals or systems with limited capacity (below 10 percent of staffed bed capacity).
The new protocols are scheduled to begin on Friday, December 3, and will be re-evaluated based on the latest COVID numbers on January 15.
“We have taken extraordinary steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and combat this pandemic. However, we continue to see warning signs of spikes this coming winter, and although the new variant of Omicron has yet to be detected in New York State. , it’s coming, “said Governor Hochul.
This plan will also allow New York State to rapidly acquire critical supplies to combat the pandemic.