A mask mandate was recently reinstated for New York City's public hospitals due to an increase in flu/COVID/RSV infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently warned that respiratory illnesses are on the rise across the country. Just before Christmas, national COVID-19 hospitalizations jumped 17% in one week.
"I think that's a major reason why we're seeing this rise in not only cases, but also hospitalizations. Because we've just had Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, so a lot of people are gathering from all over the country," Roy told NY1.