Just when you thought it was safe to be in your living room, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s latest ad campaign implies that no place is safe from COVID-19.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the release of a new PSA that highlights the dangers of COVID-19 “living room spread.” According to contract tracing data, 70 percent of new COVID-19 cases are originating from households and small gatherings. The PSA encourages New Yorkers to avoid gatherings to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.
“It’s not just mass gatherings causing the spread anymore. The virus is now literally spreading in households,” said Cuomo. “When you eliminate other options for socialization, people will shift their behavior and begin joining together in their homes. We are seeing the impacts of that now, with a significant number of cases originating in households and small gatherings. I know you may think, ‘I’m in my house with my family and with my friends so this is my safe zone,’ but that just is simply not the case anymore. As we move forward into the winter, addressing living room spread will be one of the biggest challenges in the fight against COVID-19, and we can do it, but only if New Yorkers stay smart.”
Though New York continues to maintain one of the lowest infection rates compared to other states across the nation, Cuomo says that avoiding small gatherings and practicing safe behaviors like wearing masks, washing hands and socially distancing, is as important as ever as COVID-19 cases continue to rise nationally.
Earlier this week, Cuomo announced the state’s plan for combating COVID-19 this winter. The plan, which was developed with global public health experts, local governments and other stakeholders, builds off the lessons learned during the past nine months to anticipate and prepare for an expected increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations over the holiday season.
The plan consists of five targeted strategies focused on stopping the spread while boosting hospital preparedness, including strengthening the micro-cluster strategy while managing hospital capacity to enhance and equalize care; increasing and balancing testing resources and availability; keeping schools open safely; preventing the viral spread from small gatherings; and operationalize an equitable and safe vaccination program.
Check out the new PSA below.
This story originally appeared on amny.com.
