As COVID-19 infection numbers continue to rise across the country, it looks like some of the highest rates are in New York state.
New York is the only state in the U.S. with multiple counties at high risk of COVID-19 impacts, as determined by the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That’s according to the Albany Times Union, which noted that there are now 10 counties in the state at high risk of coronavirus illness; they are based in the Finger Lakes, Central New York, North Country and the Southern Tier.
This news comes after state health officials recently identified two highly contagious strains of the Omicron variant.
The CDC looks at factors such as the number of new COVID-19 cases, and related hospital admissions to determine whether a community is at high, medium or low risk.
Monroe and Ontario counties for instance, are at medium risk which means you should talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions.
But Wayne County, is among the Finger Lakes counties consider to be at high risk, which the CDC says means residents there should wear a mask indoors while in public spaces, regardless of their vaccination status.
Last Friday, State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett advised all vulnerable New Yorkers and those gathering in indoor public spaces to consider wearing masks. There has been no indication so far of either the state or local county governments wanting to reimpose mandated mask wearing as happened earlier in the pandemic.
