ALBANY, N.Y. — Thirty-two upstate New York hospitals have suspended non-essential elective surgeries starting Thursday under an emergency order from Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The previously announced order is designed to ease capacity strains on hospitals as COVID-19 cases climb.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said despite concerns about the omicron variant, the uptick in hospitalizations and cases reflects the delta variant's spread.
There are now 20 confirmed cases of the new omicron variant in the state, with 13 of them in New York City, three in Suffolk County, two Oneida County, one in Westchester County, and one in Broome County.
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