Declaring a Disaster Emergency in the State of New York
No. 11.2
E X E C U T I V E O R D E R
Declaring a Disaster Emergency in the State of New York
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 global pandemic has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization since early 2020;
WHEREAS, the United States Health and Human Services Secretary declared a public health emergency for the entire United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19 on January 31, 2020;
WHEREAS, New York is now experiencing COVID-19 transmission at rates the State has not seen since April 2021;
WHEREAS, the rate of new COVID-19 hospital admissions has been increasing over the past month to over 300 new admissions a day;
WHEREAS, the state must pursue a coordinated approach to ensure hospital capacity statewide is able to meet regional needs;
WHEREAS, the State government must support the municipalities and counties in their efforts to facilitate and administer vaccinations and tests for COVID-19, and to prevent the virus from continuing to spread at such rates;
WHEREAS, a new SarCoV2 variant, known as Omicron, has been identified and named a variant of concern by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
WHEREAS, this variant has been identified in all 50 U.S. states, including New York, and more than 104 countries;
WHEREAS, this Omicron variant has been shown to be highly transmissible and may cause exponential spread;
WHEREAS, current vaccinations do not appear to be as effective against Omicron infection, while remaining stronger against severe disease;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the State of New York and the Laws of New York State, do hereby continue the state disaster emergency as set forth in Executive Order 11 through February 15, 2022, and continue the suspensions and modifications of law contained in Executive Orders 11 and 11.1, through February 14, 2022, except:
- The suspension contained in Executive Order 11.1 of Article 7 of the Public Officers Law to the extent necessary to authorize the New York State Senate and Assembly, at their discretion, to meet and take such action authorized by law remotely by conference call or similar service and otherwise act in conformance with the provisions of Part E of Chapter 417 of the Laws of 2021 shall no longer be in effect.
G I V E N under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State in the City of Albany this fifteenth day of January in the year two thousand twenty-two
BY THE GOVERNOR
Secretary to the Governor