Delta Variant Has Overtaken All Other COVID-19 Variants in NY

Over the past several months, the Delta Variant of COVID-19 has pushed all other variants out of the state. In April 2021, the Alpha Variant made up 44.2 percent of the positive cases and the Iota Variant made up 40.5 percent of the positive cases in the state. Now, as of October 9, 2021, 99.7 percent of the positive cases in New York are the Delta Variant.

For samples of SARS-CoV-2 collected between September 26 and October 9, 2021 from New York State that are sequenced and entered into Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID), 99.7% were the Delta variant, compared to 99.6% in the previous two-week period.

A new COVID-19 variant has been discovered in the United States. The B.1.630 strain was recently found in samples. Two samples from Baton Rouge had the variant, but experts say there's nothing to worry about. The Delta Variant is the most troublesome at the moment.

With New Vaccine Milestone, Should New York State Lift Its Mandates Now?

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on October 9, 2021, that 85 percent of the state's adult residents have received at least one vaccine dose.

Gov. Hochul said that this milestone is bringing the state closer to ending the pandemic,

As we reach this milestone of 85 percent of adult New Yorkers with at least one dose, we are one step closer to finally putting an end to this pandemic and getting our lives back to normal. While this is a momentous achievement, we still have communities lagging behind in vaccinations. The most important thing is getting vaccinated if you're in a high risk setting or immunocompromised. I urge all New Yorkers to get vaccinated to keep yourselves and those around you safe.

If you live in New York State and would like to get the vaccine, you can call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX or get more information here.