State official: NY doesn’t expect ‘steep surge’ from variant
New York’s top health official said Monday that she doesn’t expect to see a “steep surge” in COVID-19 cases as a new variant grows more prevalent in the state.
The variant commonly known as “stealth omicron,” or the B.A.2 lineage of the omicron variant, now represents 42% of all cases in New York, according to state health commissioner Mary Bassett.
“Even with the rise in cases and the B.A.2 variant.. we don’t expect to see a steep surge in cases in New York state,” Bassett said Monday at an Albany briefing with Gov. Kathy Hochul.