Coronavirus alarm: CDC calls for return of masks in 10 New York counties
Ten New York counties should resume wearing masks indoors and on public transportation due to a surge in COVID cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The announcement exceeds last week’s recommendation, which included four NYC counties and two Long Island counties. Now 10 counties are ranked in the “high” tier from CDC COVID-19 Community Level, including four of new york city: Queens, El Bronx, Staten Island y Brooklyn.
Also, counties Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, Nassau y Suffolk. Having a “high” community level of COVID-19 means that the area has a high potential for the health care system to be affected by the number of diagnoses of serious illnesses, he noted. Pix11.
Since last December 15, people can order four free COVID-19 tests by mail to take at home, in anticipation of more gatherings during this holiday season.
In addition to COVID-19, New York and other states across the country are facing a wave of flu and RSV cases, dubbed “tridemic,” that has put pressure on hospitals.
Tridemic, also known as “tripledemia,” is such a concern that last week Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urged the federal government to be ready to help with rising cases of RSV, which is characterized by respiratory problems.
This tridemic is due in part to the lockdown during the pandemic, when there were no cases of RSV or flu, according to Dr. Arun Chopra of NYU Langone’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. The lockdown probably meant that some people now have lower immunity and are more susceptible to viral infections, explained the doctor. “There are probably more people who are more sensitive to RSV, which allowed it to spread.”
