What to Know
- Omicron subvariant BA.5 now accounts for most NYC COVID cases, and all five boroughs are seeing skyrocketing transmission rates. Reinfection risk is also up and may be connected to the strain. People who have had COVID before and been vaccinated may not even experience symptoms
- No new mandates have been implemented, but with all five NYC boroughs considered high-risk for community COVID spread by the CDC, local health and elected officials say masks indoors are advised for all
- Staten Island is seeing the highest rolling new case rate in this latest wave, followed by Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn, according to the latest data from the health department
COVID-19 transmission is up 33% in New York City in the last week and rising markedly in each of the five boroughs, new health department data out Thursday shows, amid a sixth pandemic wave fueled by what some have called the "worst version" of omicron yet.
The subvariant in question, the proven-to-be vaccine-resistant BA.5 out of South Africa, established national dominance earlier this month, according to the CDC, and now appears to be oversweeping New York City at a rapid rate.
The strain accounts for 57% of all positive COVID samples genetically sequenced for the week of data ending July 2, a statistic that emerged only as of Thursday's weekly update from the city health department. It likely is a significant undercount, considering just 12% of positives in the city underwent the process to isolate variants over the last week, and that the city's case count doesn't even include the likely flooding number of at-home confirmations that never get officially recorded.
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Plus, there's the swell of people who don't experience symptoms significant enough, including from omicron's BA.5, to know they should test for COVID at all if they haven't had known exposures.
And while those who notice the widening line atop New York City's variant data page may wonder what omicron "other" means is on tap next, many find themselves reeling anew -- and frustrated by what has become a hamster wheel-like-environment that relentlessly churns out threat upon threat. These days, it's just a question of which borough will see it worse.
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As for this latest wave, Staten Island is far and away seeing the fastest rates of viral spread. The seven-day case rate per 100,000 of 444.19 that New York City officials included in Thursday's data update is 45% higher than it was this time last week. The story is similar, albeit to a lesser degree, for the other boroughs of New York City.
The Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn have all seen COVID transmission growth of at least 34% over the last week, city data shows, while Manhattan transmission has increased by about 23% in the same time. While transmission growth was slower for the last borough, Manhattan already had the second-highest new case rate (412.97), ahead of Queens (410.63), the Bronx (361.79) and Brooklyn (344.39).
Free at-home test kits are now widely available, though the city's latest giveaway didn't kick off so smoothly, and New Yorkers are advised to take advantage. The reasons, experts say, are clear.
All five boroughs were pushed back into the CDC's high-risk category for community COVID spread last Friday and this week's data suggests they won't transition back to federal medium status at any point soon. New York City health officials previously used a COVID alert system modeled off the CDC's but say they are reevaluating it because this current viral wave is not seeing soaring case rates coupled with significant increases in severe illness and hospitalizations as other waves saw.
No new mask or other COVID mandates have been implemented either, though Mayor Eric Adams and his health leadership recommend people mask up indoors in public settings regardless of vaccination status for now.
The nation's leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, agrees. Here's more of what he has to say on BA.5.
