New York’s Virus Surge Has Leaders Balancing Health and Political Risks
The New York Times
Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and President Biden, have resisted a return to restrictive, economically damaging lockdowns.
Caseloads shattering records almost daily. Hospitalizations creeping upward. New York City residents spending hours in line as they seek coronavirus tests in unprecedented numbers.
Just a year ago, a surge in virus cases like the one now coursing through New York would most likely have sent the state into lockdown, with government officials halting indoor dining, closing offices and shuttering schools as they urged residents to stay home.
But this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul appraised the situation in what is again among the nation’s pre-eminent Covid-19 hot spots, with a record-setting 29,000 new cases reported on Wednesday, and advised vaccinated New Yorkers to remain calm and soldier on.
