'It's coming': New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declares state of emergency in response to new Covid variant Omicron: Halts elective surgeries in hospitals with limited capacity as Biden bans travel from eight African countries
NY Gov Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a 'disaster state' due to COVID levels being at a rate not seen in the state since April 2020
She stressed that the new variant Omicron has not yet been found in the US, but experts believe it is only a matter of time
Hochul announced that hospitals have the option of canceling elective surgeries, if they become dangerously overwhelmed, to free up staff and facilities
Her move was in response to the new COVID variant Omicron, which begun in Botswana and is spreading rapidly in South Africa
It has now been found in Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium, with about 100 confirmed cases worldwide
Experts do not yet know if Omicron is more transmissible or more dangerous, but they fear it could be more resistant to vaccines or immunity
President Joe Biden earlier Friday banned travel from South Africa and seven other countries in the region, following in the footsteps of the UK, Israel and the EU
By Harriet Alexander For Dailymail.com
Published: 18:35 EST, 26 November 2021 | Updated: 20:44 EST, 26 November 2021
The governor of New York on Friday declared a state of emergency as COVID transmission reached rates not seen since April 2020, while warning that the troubling new variant of COVID that first emerged in Botswana is 'coming'.
Earlier on Friday, the U.S. banned flights from eight Southern African countries to try and prevent the mutant strain, Omicron, from arriving.
Kathy Hochul, the Empire State governor, said that all non-urgent procedures could be postponed beginning December 3 if the hospital's capacity falls dangerously low.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10247833/NY-Gov-announces-plan-boost-hospital-capacity-address-staff-shortage-response-Omicron.html
