On January 1, 2022, NY Governor Kathy Hochul laid out her plan to get New Yorkers through the next phase of the COVID pandemic. Calling it her Winter Surge Plan, 2.0, Hochul announced that the state had secured 5.56 million test kits, which have already been sent to schools across the state.
Another several million test kits will be ready for distribtuion this week, and are set to be distributed to local emergency management offices and then distributed to families. With another 31.5 million test kits ordered and on the way, the Governor is being applauded for making sure New York State is ready for that first critical step in the new year: making sure that test kits are available to those who think they might be COVID positive and to make sure that students, teachers, staff and first responders are tested and healthy.
“As we head into the holiday weekend, New York State is mobilizing every resource at our disposal to fight the winter surge and keep New Yorkers safe,” Governor Hochul said. “We can get through this surge through targeted actions, partnerships with local leaders, and by taking common sense steps to keep us all safe: get vaccinated, get boosted, and wear a mask indoors.”
The Winter Surge Plan 2.0 focuses on five core areas: keeping students in school, doubling down on masks and testing, preventing severe illness and death, increasing access to vaccines and boosters, and working together with local leaders.
Keep Schools Open: After two years of remote learning and school closures, Governor Hochul is focused on keeping students in school in the upcoming year. The first plank of Governor Hochul’s 5-part plan includes:
Providing tests to students and school districts: 5.56 million tests arrived for schools this week and between six and seven million more are expected to arrive in the coming days. New York has mobilized 40 trucks and 86 state personnel to distribute tests. Overall, New York State has secured 37 million tests for distribution.
Keeping college students and faculty safe: SUNY and CUNY will be introducing a new requirement for all students to get boosters, campuses will require mandatory mask wearing in public indoor spaces, and will require all faculty to be vaccinated. Students will also be required to submit negative tests upon returning to campus.
spread of the virus, New Yorkers must continue wearing masks and getting tested. for COVID. Governor Hochul will:
Extend the mask-or-vax requirement: the Department of Health will extend the mask-or-vaccine requirement for an additional two weeks, protecting workers and allowing businesses to remain open.
On Jan. 3, Governor Hochul announced a partnership with SUNY and Syracuse University in which 10 new testing sites will be opening on State University of New York campuses across the state and at Syracuse University the week of Jan. 3. More campus sites will open in the coming weeks as the project expands.
“We are getting creative in our approach to make testing easier for New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “With testing now available at SUNY campuses and Syracuse University, we are expanding access across the state to make sure that we limit the spread of COVID-19. Get tested, wear a mask, and get your vaccine, second dose, and booster to keep yourself and your community safe as we get through this winter surge.”
SUNY testing sites to open later this week include: Binghamton University, SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY Cortland, University at Buffalo, Buffalo State, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Albany, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY Purchase.
On Jan. 2, NY Governor Hochul announced 6 new State testing sites including Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon. “We want to start the New Year strong and use every tool at our disposal,” Governor Hochul said. “By mobilizing testing sites throughout the state, we will make sure testing is more accessible and convenient for New Yorkers. We will continue to expand testing availability to every corner of the state, evaluating where more capacity and additional sites are needed soon. I encourage every New Yorker to take advantage of a site near them.”
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “I want to thank the Governor for her commitment to expand COVID testing sites including the one at Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon. Adding additional sites here in Westchester and throughout New York is a top priority for the Senate. I know the last few weeks have felt like a step back on all of the progress we have made. But this is not a repeat of March 2020. We now have a strong arsenal of tools to fight this virus and We need everyone to get vaccinated, get boosted, wear masks and get tested.”
The following information was provided by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Last week, through Jan. 1, 5,282,626 rapid tests were distributed to school districts and BOCES throughout the state. Of that figure: 2,147,040 tests delivered to NYC for NYC schools, 3,135,586 for schools outside of NYC Regional numbers: Hudson Valley: 655,112, Long Island: 854,374. Dozens of State employees worked over the New Year weekend to deliver test kits from their location in Guilderland, NY. The test kits were transported by truck to either local school districts, or regional BOCES, where they were picked up by smaller districts.
