Omicron

Officials with the Broome County Health Department plan to make a formal announcement soon concerning how to get the new COVID-19 booster shot.

Chenango County Health Department is advising residents of an increase in levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater surveillance data over the past two weeks.

Broome's Health Commissioner says if you are due for a COVID booster, it is best to get one as soon as possible and not wait for the new version.

Broome County is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases, prompting the county executive to hold his first COVID briefing in months.

Some significant COVID-19 numbers are being passed as cases again start to rise, this time due to a subvariant of the Omicron mutation.

A few counties in the Southern Tier: Chenango, Delaware and Tioga Counties over the past week even had a day with no new cases reported.

New York State plans to start testing wastewater in all counties across New York State for variants of the coronavirus and track changes in concentration.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced more than 20-million COVID-19 tests are being distributed throughout the Spring to help control the disease.

Almost 40 percent of the virus is circulating in New York State and New Jersey.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York is asking the Small Business Administration for another COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loans repayment extension.