New York moving over Omicron peak as cases fall

NEW YORK, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- COVID-19's current crisis appears to be mirroring the projections made by officials and health experts that cases in New York are beginning to dip as sharply as they rose around Christmas, local media reported Sunday.

New York City Health Department data has shown "very high transmission" of COVID-19 across the city, with thousands of new cases being detected every day, according to amNY.com, a leading news site in New York City. However, COVID-19-related infections and hospitalizations have begun to decline, signaling that the five boroughs of the city have passed the peak of the pandemic's biggest wave.

Progress has been seen in the 7-day positivity rates across the five boroughs. Fifty-two areas reported 30 percent or higher COVID-19 positivity between Jan. 5 and 11, but no area of the city has rates exceeding 40 percent. During the previous week from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4, the city had 23 areas with 40 percent or higher positivity rates.

On Jan. 14, the citywide 7-day positivity rate was 27.65 percent, compared to 32.59 percent on Jan. 4.

Currently, the only rate that hasn't fallen is the death rate, which has continued to rise due to long-term and more severe COVID-19 infections reported in recent days. As of Jan. 14, the average 7-day death rate was 73, according to amNY.com.

The unvaccinated remain at a much higher risk of infection, hospitalization, and even death from COVID-19. Health department data shows that unvaccinated New Yorkers are four times as likely to contract COVID-19, eight times as likely to be hospitalized from it, and nine times as likely to die from it than vaccinated New Yorkers, it noted.