Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a State of Emergency in New York State to help boost hospital capacity and address staffing shortages ahead of potential spikes in COVID cases this winter.

Hochul announced the plan on Friday, which will allow the Department of Health to limit non-essential, non-urgent procedures for in-hospitals or systems with limited capacity (below ten percent staffed bed capacity.)

The new protocols are set to begin on Friday, December 3, and will be re-assessed based on the latest COVID numbers on January 15.

“We’ve taken extraordinary action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and combat this pandemic. However, we continue to see warning signs of spikes this upcoming winter, and while the new Omicron variant has yet to be detected in New York State, it’s coming,” Governor Hochul said.

This plan will also enable New York State to quickly acquire critical supplies to fight the pandemic.

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