New York state sets coronavirus record for second straight day

New York reported its highest number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the second consecutive day the Empire State set a record for daily infections.

New York reported 21,908 coronavirus cases, which is the highest number the state has recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data collected by The Washington Post.

Saturday’s count exceeded the previous record set on Friday, when 21,027 cases were reported, according to the Post.

The uptick in cases is coming amid a winter surge nationwide that is being driven largely by the highly mutated omicron variant, which was first identified in South Africa last month. Since then, it has spread to a number of countries as well as states in the U.S.

While cases are up in New York state, hospitalizations and deaths remain lower than during previous pandemic surges. New York City residents have reported long lines at testing centers in recent days.

The current surge, however, has forced New Yorkers to take precautions to tamp down on the spread of the virus, especially amid the holiday season when individuals typically gather to celebrate with their loved ones.

The “Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes” canceled all of its upcoming performances because of the surge in cases, and “Saturday Night Live” announced hours before its latest show that there would be no audience and a limited cast and crew.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Thursday unveiled a six-pronged approach to combating the rise in cases that includes the distribution of 1 million medical-grade KN95 masks and 500,000 rapid at-home tests in communities throughout the city.