NY declares emergency state ahead of potential Omicron spike

The declaration, which goes into effect on Dec. 3, will allow the state to acquire pandemic-fighting supplies, increase hospital capacity and fight potential staffing shortages. It would also allow the state Health Department to limit non-essential and non-urgent procedures at hospitals, NBC New York reported.

"We continue to see warning signs of spikes this upcoming winter, and while the new Omicron variant has yet to be detected in New York State, it's coming," Hochul said.

The move comes hours after the governor said her office was closely monitoring the new variant, which was first sequenced in South Africa earlier this week.

On Friday, the World Health Organization named the new strain and labeled it a variant of concern. But it remains whether it will take a foothold globally - or dodge immune responses from either prior infections or vaccination.

Nevertheless, the news roiled markets worldwide and the United States joined Canada and much of Europe in blocking travelers from several countries in southern Africa as a result.

ZZ/PR