People line up in New York City to get tested for Covid-19.
The test positivity rates in New York City have doubled in three days.
We have never seen this before in NYC.
As the omicron variant spreads, Positivity rates are rising. New York and New Jersey are the two states with the most rapid spread of the variant. The CDC region that includes New York and New Jersey has a higher incidence of omicron cases than the national average.
The commissioner of the New York City health department said at a news conference on Thursday that Omicron is spreading quickly.
The variant was first detected in South Africa at the end of November. The UK has seen the highest number of new cases since the beginning of the Pandemic.
The percentage of positive tests went up from December 9 to December 12. This is the first variant of the vaccine that does not induce immunity against infections.
In New York City, about 67,000 tests are administered per day, which is higher than many other cities. The data reported by the city has a lag of about three days, meaning current positivity rates could be higher and previous days' data may still be adjusted.
The city will be increasing it's testing capacity moving forward, according to Mayor de Blasio. He said that more of the mobile sites would be in all the five boroughs, but that they would also be doubling down on their brick and mortar sites.
Even as new sites are added, hours and capacity at existing fixed sites will be expanded.
The best way to protect against omicron and severe disease is to get a vaccine, the mayor said. He said to get your booster shot now.
