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Staten Island is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases, at least in part due to the recent spread of the highly contagious Delta variant among unvaccinated New Yorkers, the city’s top doctor warned on Monday.
“The spread of the Delta variant means that this may be the most dangerous time not to be vaccinated, and that is why we have ensured that our vaccination efforts continue as urgently as possible. “said Dr Dave Chokshi, city health commissioner, during a virtual press briefing with Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“We see, for example, in Staten Island, the percentage of positivity and the number of cases have increased in the last few days and weeks, and that’s because we have unvaccinated people, especially younger people, who don’t. still are not, ”Chokshi said.
Residents of New York City who do not receive a COVID-19 vaccine are now at a “very high risk” of contracting the coronavirus, added de Blasio’s senior public health adviser Dr. Jay Varma.
“This new strain of the virus is particularly contagious, and therefore for that percentage of the population that is not vaccinated, they are at a very high risk of being infected and potentially of having these very serious complications,” Varma said during of the briefing.
Overall, the city is seeing a slight increase in new cases of COVID-19, with a daily seven-day moving average of 328 and a positivity rate of 1.27%, according to figures released by the mayor on Monday.
The city’s positivity rate was 0.85% for the latest seven-day average on Friday, with Staten Island the only borough to exceed 1%, state data showed. He had a positive rate of 1.41%.
Chokshi urged New Yorkers to get vaccinated.
“We have to make sure that people are as protected as possible over the next few weeks,” Chokshi said.
De Blasio noted that while the city’s positivity rate was up from the very low less than 1% it had consistently recorded in May and June, the number of New Yorkers forced to hospital due to health complications created by the virus remain modest.
“What we are seeing is more cases and positivity, but we also see what is most important to us, thank goodness hospitalizations remain very low and people are not at risk. accordingly, “he said.
While the Delta variant has not resulted in a dramatic increase in COVID-19-induced deaths and illnesses, its spread is still of concern due to its high transmissibility and the reduced ability of existing vaccines to ward off it.
The Pfizer vaccine has been less effective in preventing people from contracting the coronavirus in Israel as the Delta variant spreads there. The jab is still successful in helping those vaccinated to avoid serious illness and death, according to real-world data released last week.
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