Bug cases rise in N.Y. as BA.2 surges upstate

New York State recorded 6,546 new COVID-19 cases Thursday as the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant surged in several upstate regions, Gov. Hochul said.

The positivity rate is rising fast in central and western New York, and the statewide rate rose to 5.3%

Even in New York City, which has recently enjoyed lower positivity rates, the numbers have started rising rapidly.

“As we inch closer to the Easter and Passover holidays and many New Yorkers prepare to travel and gather with their loved ones, it is critical that we continue to utilize the tools at our disposal to prevent COVID spread and protect those around us,” Hochul said.

Five New Yorkers died from COVID in the past 24 hours. Hospitalizations rose to 1,136, an alarming 3% jump from just a day earlier.

The positive test rate stands at more than 11% in central New York State and around 8% in the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Buffalo areas.

According to the city’s Department of Health, five neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs have positivity rates over 10%, and four of the five are in Manhattan.

That’s a shift from previous waves of COVID where the earliest surges were seen in working-class outer-borough neighborhoods including Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx.

The outbreak in New York mirrors the situation across the country where BA.2 is spreading in some areas while other regions remain relatively safe for now.

Since it was first identified in November, BA.2 has been spreading around the globe, driving new surges in parts of Asia and Europe. It’s now the dominant coronavirus version in the U.S. and more than five dozen other countries.

In rare cases, early research indicates BA.2 can infect people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection. COVID-19 vaccines appear just as effective against both kinds of omicron, offering strong protection against severe illness and death.