STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR HOCHUL ON WINTER SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES

12-21-2021

“I want to thank President Biden for his leadership in fighting the nationwide COVID-19 winter surge and taking comprehensive action against the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. 

As part of our state’s comprehensive Winter Surge Plan, we’ve taken bold steps to make vaccines, boosters, testing and masks more widely available in all corners of New York State, and we will continue to bring relief to hospital systems so they can remain focused on providing care to all New Yorkers. 

The President and I spoke again today about how to address this surge, and I’m grateful that he is responding to our requests for additional personnel to support our hospitals and health systems, including the deployment of 30 ambulances with staff to Upstate areas; new mass testing sites, including the first one to be operational in New York City before Christmas; and rapid tests sent directly to Americans in their homes. This is real leadership. 

I look forward to our continued partnership with the Biden Administration to assist New York State as we fight the winter surge.”