NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The COVID-19 positivity fee in New York state is at 18%, 160 new deaths have been reported, and greater than 12,500 individuals are hospitalized, and a startling variety of them are unvaccinated kids.
On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a brand new plan of assault, CBS2’s Marcia Kramer reported.
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The governor has a message for everybody with kids.
“Dad and mom ought to have a look at their kids after they come dwelling from faculty and say, ‘Do I actually wish to go to my most valuable particular person in my complete life? Do I actually wish to go to them in a hospital?’” Hochul mentioned.
COVID VACCINE
As a result of though these testing constructive for COVID are beginning to gradual barely in some components of the state, The speed of youngsters getting sick goes up a lot quicker than adults.
“Ninety-one % of kids mendacity in a hospital mattress in the present day, who’re in there as a result of they’ve COVID, are all unvaccinated,” Hochul mentioned.
Which is why the governor unveiled the brand new program to extend vaccination charges amongst kids 5 and older. It can consist of promoting marketing campaign, that includes public service bulletins in English and Spanish, on tv and social media, that may urge pediatricians, mother and father and guardians to get children their pictures.
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Appearing Well being Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett is featured within the first advert.
“We’re seeing an alarming enhance within the variety of kids sick and hospitalized as a result of Omicron Variant. Vaccination is just the easiest way to guard them,” Bassett says.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Since Omicron hit New York, the variety of children hospitalized with the illness has skyrocketed from 85 in early December to 571 on the finish of final week.
Practically 22% of kids 5-11 and 65% of these 12-17 had accomplished their immunizations as of Monday.
The governor mentioned that’s woefully insufficient.
“It’s protected, it’s free, and it protects even the youthful siblings who usually are not eligible. That is vital. Get the older siblings vaccinated so the kids who usually are not eligible but, 5 and underneath, are protected as nicely,” Hochul mentioned.
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The governor and the well being commissioner additionally introduced and finish to native well being departments doing contact tracing. They mentioned with the document variety of individuals testing constructive, it’s close to inconceivable for officers to inform those that might have been uncovered, including eliminating tracing will enable well being departments to make use of their assets extra successfully in testing and vaccination efforts.
