
Governor Kathy Hochul Friday (November 26th) 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 the Governor, 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 this Friday, December 3, and will be re-assessed based on the latest COVID-19 data on January 15.