Photo: Governor Kathy Holchul
Governor Kathy Hochul has extended her emergency pandemic powers through August 22, despite dropping numbers statewide.
The executive order was stamped on July 14, extending New York State’s disaster emergency. The Centers for Disease Control COVID tracker shows nine downstate counties with high COVID transmission levels. The majority of the state has low-to-medium levels. The governor’s office has said the emergency extension gives the state the flexibility to troubleshoot hospital capacity issues, with numbers climbing in that department.