New York City raises Covid-19 alert level as case numbers rise
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The city has moved to a "medium" alert level from "low" as new cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days has surpassed 200.
PHOTO: AFP
NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) - The recent uptick in Covid-19 cases across New York City has prompted increased caution from the city.
The city has moved to a "medium" alert level from "low" as new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days has surpassed 200.
The latest figure of 209.02 cases per 100,000 is the highest since early February.
Patients hospitalised with the virus also have increased over the past month, but still remain below 500.
During the Omicron-induced surge around the holidays, hospitalisations in the city peaked above 6,500 in January, according to data from New York state.
Guidance for the new alert level encourages New Yorkers to wear a face mask in public indoor settings where vaccine status is unknown.
Manhattan has the highest transmission levels of any borough, though it has seen numbers trend lower since mid-April, according to data from the city. All other boroughs have seen levels rise over the past couple weeks, prompting the change in the city's alert level.
"This reflects a growing wave of Omicron sub-variants," Manhattan borough president Mark Levine tweeted on Monday.