People carry shopping bags near a "COVID-19 testing" sign on Black Friday in Herald Square on November 26, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images) NEW YORK - Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a State of Emergency in New York, along with an executive order designed to boost hospital capacity and address staffing shortages across the state ahead of potential spikes in COVID-19 cases this winter.
The protocol comes amid warnings about a new and highly transmissible coronavirus variant, known as "omicron," that has not yet been detected in New York. "We've taken extraordinary steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and combat this pandemic," Hochul said in a statement.