Minute by minute: the latest news about the coronavirus and the omicron variant

179,000 New York City residents have received their COVID-19 booster since Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his vaccination incentive program last week, bringing the total number of New York City residents up. 1.9 million vaccinated, the mayor said at a news conference Monday.

“We launched this mandate when omicron was approaching, but we had no idea that it would be so intense,” said the mayor. “We knew that with the arrival of omicron, with the cold weather, it was time to do more, because thank God we did it because these mandates have been absolutely necessary to keep this city going.”

De Blasio said that this Monday there were 296 hospitalizations for covid-19 throughout the city and that this number had risen sharply, as well as the confirmed level of positivity, 7.96%, which the mayor described as aberrant.

However, he added that the city’s hospitals “are doing extraordinarily well. We have real challenges, but what is striking is how different the omicron experience is even compared to last winter, let alone spring. 2020. “

With 17,334 positive COVID-19 cases reported Monday, the mayor said he believed the number of positive cases “is going to peak very soon.”

As of this Monday, all private sector employers, some 184,000 companies, are required to have a COVID vaccination mandate in their businesses. When asked if companies would be prone to random checks, de Blasio said they should wait for inspections.

“But again, with an attitude of ‘let’s make sure things work for everyone’s health and safety.’ We’re not trying to say ‘I got you’, we’re trying to make sure we’re moving forward,” he said. .

“This is a multi-agency inspection force, which is very similar to the way we do the engagement and then the enforcement related to Key to NYC as well,” said the New York City Health Department Commissioner, Dave Chokshi.

“We try to work with companies and business owners so that everyone can comply with regulations for the simple reason that vaccination is good for business – it helps us keep our economy open and running, and it helps keep people employees and all New Yorkers healthy and out of the hospital. “