The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending masks in Central New York for the first time in. months due to a rise in Covid-19 levels.
The CDC updated its Covid Community Levels map on Thursday, Sept. 29, showing areas where Covid is at a “high” (orange), “medium” (yellow) or “low” (green) risk. Most of the U.S. is still in the green, but nine counties in New York state are now at a high risk, including Onondaga County, Oswego County and Jefferson County; masks are urged in areas with high Covid levels.
Oswego County was first in CNY to return to high Covid levels last week. Daily cases have doubled from 20 on Sept. 8 to an average of 40 this week.
Onondaga County was added to the “high” Covid levels list Thursday after cases and hospitalizations rose to the highest in four months, fueled in part by children returning to school and large events like the New York State Fair, Elton John’s concert at the JMA Wireless Dome, and Syracuse football games. Health officials think the number of cases are even higher because many people infected with the coronavirus don’t get tested or don’t report their at-home test results to the county.
“I think it’s the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr. Mitchell Brodey, an infectious disease expert who runs the 70-physician Family Care Medical Group, last week.
Here are the nine New York state counties with “high” Covid levels where masks are recommended:
- Albany County
- Columbia County
- Fulton County
- Jefferson County
- Montgomery County
- Onondaga County
- Orange County
- Oswego County
- Rensselaer County
All 62 of New York’s counties were considered low risk for most of the summer, but now only a dozen are in the green. More than 40 counties are currently at medium risk, according to the CDC.
Masks are recommended, not mandated, indoors in areas with high Covid community levels under CDC guidelines released in February. Masking recommendations are now based on three factors — Covid hospitalizations, hospital capacity and new Covid cases — focusing more on preventing hospitals from getting overwhelmed and less on positive tests, which spiked during the omicron wave in December and January.
Masks are not recommended indoors, including in schools, in areas with medium or low community levels, though immunocompromised people and others at high risk for severe illness may still want to wear face coverings indoors and avoid large crowds.
Covid community levels were low enough at the beginning of March that masks weren’t recommended in any New York state county, but cases and hospitalizations increased in Syracuse and the surrounding area during the spring due to the rise of highly contagious BA.2 variants, the end of widespread mask-wearing, and the waning of vaccines. The state health department said CNY was the first in the U.S. to see “significant community spread” of more contagious omicron strains BA.2.12 and the related BA.2.12.1, spread rapidly through the Northeast in April and May.
The CDC updates its Community Levels map every Thursday. The map provides recommendations for mask-wearing, but does not indicate where face coverings are mandated.
New York state ended its Covid state of emergency earlier this month and dropped its mask requirement on public transportation, but face coverings are still required in health care settings including hospitals and nursing homes.
The CDC also says anyone with Covid-19 symptoms or who test positive should wear masks, regardless of vaccination status or the risk level where they live.
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