Governor. New York has a rising tide of infection due to two mutations in the transmissible Omicron strain of Covid-19. Kathy Hochul spoke Wednesday.

Hochul stated that “we did identify two subvariants omicron which are driving the current spike of cases” during a Syracuse press conference.

According to the Democratic governor, “We take this seriously.” “Every single variation that is available, you don’t know whether it will be worse than any other.”

Hochul said that no new strains have been identified by state health officials and that they do not expect a repeat the omicron-fueled spike in winter cases.

She stated, “We don’t panic about it, we aren’t changing, but we want to be smart about this.”

New York currently has 40 Covid cases for every 100,000 residents. Hochul stated that this is an easier metric than the overall infection rate. Although the number was “quite low” over recent weeks, it is still significantly lower than the peak winter level of 461 cases for 100,000.

“We’re far from reaching that peak, but we’re not even close,” she stated.

The number of cases in the United States is not near that of the peak pandemic, which was about 808,000 cases per day at mid-January. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, new infections average about 35,000 per day. This is according CNBC’s analysis. Although this is only a small fraction of peak cases, they have been increasing in the United States over recent weeks. Some areas are also experiencing localized spikes.

Hochul stated that there are approximately 1,400 Covid-infected people in the state. According to Hochul, New York had 12,000 hospitalized for the virus at the height of the pandemic.

Hochul stated that hospitalizations are an important factor in the state’s response. However, at-home Covid testing has obscured true numbers.

Additionally, she said about half of the people admitted to hospital with Covid were people who had been admitted for any other reason and tested positive upon arrival.

Hochul stated that the warmer weather will also be a welcome sign for controlling Covid’s spread, as more people will choose to socialize outside than inside confined areas.

New York’s mask regulations for public transportation and other environments will remain in effect, at least temporarily. Hochul said, “Let’s be smart about that.”

The decision comes two days after the ruling of a federal court that invalidated the mandates for public transit using masks issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the Biden administration, it will appeal that rulingIf the CDC deems a mandatory mask to be necessary for public health,

Philadelphia became the first major U.S. city on MondayTo reinstate the Covid-19 mandate to indoor activities, as the contagious micron BA.2 subvariant makes new Covid cases more prevalent in the U.S.

Hochul stated that if not for the subvariants, “I think we would be able to say farewell to all masks in any setting.” We’ll get there. “We will succeed.”