Omicron Variant

The New York State Department of Health announced Monday that the COVID-19 XBB.1.5 variant is now the dominant strain in the state, accounting for more than 50% of COVID-19 infections in New York.

Karen DeWitt spoke with the state’s health commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett, who said the best protection for kids is to get vaccinated.

Governor Kathy Hochul said she has no plans to increase public safety measures in response to the latest COVID-19 variants in New York, but said no one can predict what happens next.

It is showing up in testing for the virus in New York, but so far it is not spreading as fast as it has in other European countries and the United Kingdom, Hochul said.

New York healthcare providers have been waiting over a year to receive some of the $9 billion from the Provider Relief Fund.

New York continues to break records for residents testing positive for the coronavirus, even though there is a shortage of at-home tests and there can be long waits at testing centers.

Governor Lamont is defending Connecticut’s new app to show vaccination status.

Concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus are growing as the more contagious strain is beginning to take hold in New York.

Over 20,000 Connecticut residents will lose their federal unemployment benefits in January due to the state's unemployment rate dropping below the federal level for extended benefits.

But she said she has no plans to try to enforce a statewide mask mandate that began Monday, instead leaving it up to local governments, business and individuals to choose to comply.