For almost two years, people around the world have been told that one of the most effective ways to fight the spread of Covid-19 is to wear a mask. It didn't matter if it was cloth or paper. What mattered was that they were worn.
But now it turns out that public health experts believe any old mask might not be good enough to slow the spread of Covid-19.
During a briefing Monday morning, Hochul urged calm amid the spread of Omicron and made clear that her ultimate goal is to avoid shutting down New York's economy and institutions, especially schools.
Blame Omicron.
Erie County officials say that to protect against the highly contagious new variant of the virus, people should wear "a high quality mask" such as a KN95 mask.
"We know that most of the new cases ... that people are catching in this region are Omicron," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Tuesday at his weekly Covid-19 briefing. "It's two to three times more transmissible than Delta and earlier variants."
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While Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo is seeing an increase in pediatric Covid-19 admissions, the jump is nowhere close to the surge seen in New York City.
It's more contagious, Poloncarz said his health commissioner told him, than the measles, "which is one of the most transmissible virus positions ever seen."
The push to get people to wear the higher-quality masks comes as Erie County recorded a record high number of new Covid-19 cases. An all-time high of 1,368 cases were recorded Monday, according to the Erie County Health Department. That represented 17.1% of all of the tests conducted in the county.
Also, the total number of new cases per 100,000 over the past seven days hit 634.
"That's the highest we've ever seen," Poloncarz said.
It's not all bad news locally, as the rise in cases has not translated into a rise in hospitalizations. In fact, in Erie County, the opposite is happening, a trend that Poloncarz continues to point to as proof that a mask mandate, in effect for more than a month, is working.
Officials believe the rise in cases is driven by the Omicron variant, which was detected last week for this first time in Erie County. But Poloncarz noted that the samples that were being tested were from two weeks earlier.
"Omicron is here," he said, and noted that some studies of Omicron in other countries indicate it may cause less severe illness.
Mayor Byron Brown asked revelers who want to be part of the celebration to "do the right thing."Â
Prepping for New Year's Eve
Despite the rise in new Covid-19 cases, a popular tradition will return to Buffalo this year. The annual New Year's Eve ball drop at the Electric Tower, which was held virtually last year, is slated to take place as scheduled Friday night. However, the accompanying First Night Buffalo party, traditionally held inside the Convention Center, was canceled.
On Tuesday, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown asked revelers who want to be part of the celebration to "do the right thing." He urged everyone coming downtown to be vaccinated – and boosted – and to wear masks, even outside.
"There's pent-up demand to get out," Brown said. "We want to let people come out and enjoy New Year's Eve, enjoy themselves. But they have to be part of the effort to do it responsibly."
He said there will be no enforcement of those guidelines.
"It is an honor system," Brown said.
Just after a test run of the New Year's Eve ball drop Tuesday morning, Dr. Raul Vazquez, president and CEO of G-Health, one of the region's largest urban health organizations, stood on the sidewalk off Washington Street, worrying about what the next few weeks will bring.
He had just spoken at the news conference with the mayor. He was there to underscore the potential dangers of the spread of Covid-19, especially for those who are unvaccinated.
In a few days, tens of thousands of people are expected to gather right where he was standing to watch the shiny ball drop and say goodbye to 2021. Many more will gather at bars and houses.
They will laugh and sing and dance and drink and, chances are, be exposed to Covid-19.
"If you're sick, or you're unvaccinated, you probably shouldn't come to these events," he said. "Most people are not going to follow that."
Vazquez said he's already seeing a higher volume of Covid-19 patients at his clinics than at any point since March 2020.
"That should scare you," Vazquez said.
With eight staffers recently testing positive, Vazquez said his organization has reverted to telehealth-only appointments.
He predicted a "bump" in new cases over the next two to three weeks.
Many people, even those who are vaccinated, will likely catch Covid-19, he said. But those who are vaccinated will mostly have mild or moderate cases. Those who are not are much more likely to have severe cases.
"If you want to stick around for 2022, try to do the right thing," Vazquez said.
Better masks
Poloncarz said higher quality masks will provide an extra layer of protection as Omicron spreads.
"The other masks are good. These are just better. They're better, with stronger filtration rates. They fit closer to your face," he said.
This week, Erie County will distribute 400,000 KN95 masks from its reserves at Health Department sites, including vaccine and testing sites, along with libraries, social service and senior centers, Poloncarz said.
County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein explained why other commonly used types of masks may not be as effective.
"Most masks, they have like a little bit of an opening ... on the sides of your mouth. This may not be a really tight fit. And now with the Omicron, just like a few viral particles can get in there and infect you. So we have to wear a really super well-fitting mask that doesn't have any of these potential defects on the side of our mouth or anywhere where a virus can intrude around our mask," she said.
Getting tested before getting together with others during the holidays is a good way to minimize risk.
Testing and a bit of good news
The county is also gearing up to provide rapid home tests to the public. The federal government is expected to distribute 500 million tests across the nation, with 37 million slated for New York State. Gov. Kathy Hochul said 3 million to 3.5 million will go directly to school districts that would allow students and staff who are identified as a close contact of a Covid-19 positive person to "test to stay" in school.
However, those tests have not yet arrived, Poloncarz said.
In the meantime, people wanting a free PCR test or a rapid test that's more accurate than most home tests can get one by calling the county at 716-858-2929. They also urged anyone who tests positive using a home test to isolate at home, but also contact the county for further testing.
There was some good news at Tuesday's county briefing, which was held by video conference.
Hospitalization rates, which reached record highs in November, have continued to drop steadily in Erie County and the Western New York region. Downstate hospitals, on the other hand, have seen an increase.
Poloncarz credited the mask mandate for all indoor public spaces, which was implemented county-wide just before Thanksgiving, for the decrease in hospitalization rates.
"We implemented the mask mandate to prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed. It is working. It is continuing to work. Our hospitals are starting to have additional beds. They're freed up," he said.
