New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday afternoon that with more restrictions and that the city must prepare from now on for another total closure.
The announcement came on the same day that the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was given to a disease working with critically ill patients at a Queens hospital.
“What we saw today was a glimmer of hope, but it does not mean that cows are available in medical centers, and let’s be clear, while that happens we must continue to fight this virus. We are going to have a very hard December and January “, said De Blasio.
The mayor reported the possibility of a complete pause in the coming weeks due to the drastic increase in COVID-19 cases, and that the population should enlist for a general closure such as the one that occurred in end of April and May.
“We are seeing a level of coronavirus infection that we have not seen since May and we need to stop that momentum, or else our hospital system will be threatened,” the mayor said.
Last Friday, a ban on coming to restaurants was imposed for the second time, as an effort to curb infections, a measure that has generated controversy in the economic sector.
The numbers continue to rise in the Big Apple. As of today, 185 new hospitalizations were reported, 2,137 new cases and a positivity rate of 5.50% that resists being reduced.
For now, authorities say a massive vaccination effort would be able to end the pandemic that claimed more than 24,000 lives, but warned that it would take months to manufacture and distribute enough vaccines to stop the spread of the virus.
The first doses of the vaccine are reserved for health workers, as well as for some residents and staff of nursing homes. Followed by them are the essential workers such as teachers and firefighters.
The general population is expected to receive the vaccine in February 2021.