Governor Hochul Announces New Measures to Combat COVID-19 Delta Variant

 

Announces Plan for New Statewide Weekly Testing Requirement for Unvaccinated School Staff 

  

Decentralizes Booster Shot Distribution to Local Health Departments, Announces $65 Million Available to Local Health Departments to Support These Efforts 

State Exploring Vaccine Mandate for All Staff in All State Regulated Facilities 

New Measures Build on Governor's Comprehensive Plan to Help Ensure a Safe, Productive Return to Schools This Fall 

  

Follows Universal Mask Requirement in All Schools Enacted on Governor's First Day in Office and $585 Million School Testing Program Using $585 Million in Federal Funds

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced new measures to combat the COVID-19 Delta variant and updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating the virus.

Speaking at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine, the Governor announced she will be working with localities, the state health department and the Public Health and Health Planning Council in the days ahead to put in place mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated public and charter school employees, and to establish a vaccination requirement for all staff at state-regulated facilities and congregate settings. The governor announced $65 million will be available to local health departments across the state to support the quick and reliable distribution of booster shots.

"Last year every community across the state came together in a profound way to say, 'we can do this'," Governor Hochul said. "This war is not over and the Delta variant is a serious threat, especially for people who are still unvaccinated. We all need to remain vigilant to protect each other - and that means coming in to get your shot and booster shot, wearing masks in indoor spaces, and exercising basic safety measures that we are all familiar with by now."

Getting children back to school where they can learn most effectively and protecting the students, teachers and staff are top priorities for Governor Hochul. Building on the state department of health's directive requiring universal masking for anyone entering schools, the governor will be working with localities, the department of health and the Public Health and Health Planning Council in the days ahead to implement a mandatory weekly COVID testing for school staff who are not vaccinated.

Following the department of health's announcement last week that all staff in health care facilities need to be vaccinated, the state is exploring how to expand this requirement to include staff at all state-regulated facilities.Local health departments will be supporting the distribution of booster shots in New York, enabling them to use their knowledge and workforce to quickly deliver booster shots to their communities. The governor is making $65 million available to local health departments to build the infrastructure for these efforts.

COVID-19 Numbers for New York as of August 30: 

• Test Results Reported - 95,579  
• Total Positive - 3,789  
• Percent Positive - 3.96% 
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.35%  
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,234 (+48) 
• Patients Newly Admitted - 232 
• Patients in ICU - 484 (+16) 
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 247 (+18) 
• Total Discharges - 192,839 (+185) 
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 22 
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 43,573 
• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 55,602 

COVID-19 Vaccination Data for New York as of August 31, 11 a.m.: 

• Total vaccine doses administered - 23,665,694 
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 46,143 
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 367,128 
• Ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 77.0% 
• Ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 69.9% 
• Ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 79.7% 
• Ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 71.6% 
• New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 64.9% 
• New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 58.5% 
• New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 67.3% 
• New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 60.0%