NEW YORK : New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency in the state due to a spike in new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, according to her executive order.

“Whereas, New York is now experiencing COVID-19 transmission at rates the State has not seen since April 2020…Whereas, the rate of new COVID-19 hospital admissions has been increasing over the past month to over 300 new admissions a day…I do hereby declare a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York through January 15, 2022,” the executive order said on Friday evening. The state of emergency will increase hospital capacity in New York and support vaccination efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease.

Hochul issued the state of emergency amid concerns over the new Omicron coronavirus variant detected in southern Africa. The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and many European countries imposed new restrictions on foreign nationals travelling from countries in the region due to the new strain. (ANI/Sputnik)