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Governor Hochul Announces
Urgent Action to Boost Hospital Capacity and Address Staffing Shortages
Published: November 27, 2021
at 10:00 a.m.
By: Press Release from Governor Hochul’s
Office (November 26, 2021)
Governor Hochul Announces
Urgent Action to Boost Hospital Capacity and Address Staffing Shortages
State of Emergency to Trigger Use of Surge and Flex
System and Expand Purchasing Ability
Department of Health Will Be Permitted to Limit
Non-Essential, Non-Urgent Scheduled Hospital Procedures If Necessary to
Ensure Capacity
New Omicron Variant Not Detected in New York State
Yet, but Hochul Warns: 'It's Coming'
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced urgent action to boost
hospital capacity and address staffing shortages ahead of potential
spikes in COVID-19 cases this upcoming winter. Through
an Executive Order signed by Governor Hochul, the
Department of Health will be allowed to limit non-essential,
non-urgent procedures for in-hospitals or systems with limited capacity to
protect access to critical health care services. Limited capacity
is defined as below 10% staffed bed capacity, or as determined by the
Department of Health based on regional and health care utilization factors.
The new protocols
will begin on Friday, December 3, and will be re-assessed based
on the latest COVID-19 data on January 15. The Executive Order will
also enable New York State to acquire more quickly any critical
supplies to combat the pandemic.
"We've taken
extraordinary action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and combat this
pandemic. However, we continue to see warning signs of spikes
this upcoming winter, and while the new Omicron variant
has yet to be detected in New York State, it's
coming," Governor Hochul said. "In preparation,
I am announcing urgent steps today to expand hospital
capacity and help ensure our hospital systems can tackle any
challenges posed by the pandemic as we head into the winter
months. The vaccine remains one of our greatest weapons in
fighting the pandemic, and I encourage every New Yorker to get
vaccinated, and get the booster if you're fully vaccinated."
The Hochul Administration continues to take comprehensive
steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including mask protocols in
health care and P-12 school settings, correctional facilities and
detentions centers, public transportation and at transportation hubs, and
implementation of the HERO Act which requires all employers to
implement workplace safety plans in response to COVID-19.
The Administration continues to focus on boosting vaccination rates among
New Yorkers, including bolstering the State's network of vaccine
access points, and working to expand testing supplies. That also
includes acting on our comprehensive plan to vaccinate school-aged children
5-17, provide incentive programs, combat vaccine misinformation campaigns,
increase vaccine awareness, deploy pop-up vaccines in targeted
low-vaccination areas, and implement vaccine requirements for health care
workers. On August 24, the vaccination rate among adults with one dose was
78.8%. Today, it is 90.2%.
Further, the
Administration continues to ramp up booster shots and urges
all New Yorkers to get the booster dose once fully vaccinated. As of
November 24, over 2.2 million boosters and/or additional doses have been
administered. Nearly 4,500 locations across are administering booster
shots.
The Administration
will continue to partner with local leaders to make
vaccines, boosters and testing more widely available.
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