Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office launched a COVID-19 hotline statewide, expanding it from just the city on Monday. All New Yorkers are able to dial 888-TREAT-NY to access a telehealth professional after testing positive for COVID-19. 

"My grandmother recently had COVID and it was kind of a struggle when it first started to get Medicaid and get medical things or things of that nature,” said Brooklyn resident Danny Daniels. “And with this, all she has to do is go on the phone and get on the app, and it’ll be here in 2.5. She’ll be able to get coverage and be healthy as fast as possible."  

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, the White House COVID-19 Response Team is urging Americans to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as eligible whether they have had the virus previously or not. They say staying up to date on boosters is of utmost importance with new COVID-19 variants like BA.5 on the rise. 

"We have all the capabilities we need to protect the American people,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, chief medical advisor to the president. "Vaccines and boosters, treatments, tests, masks, ventilation and so much more. But beyond just having these capabilities-- we have the infrastructure we need to make these tools widely available and easily accessible."   

The team says it's held many discussions regarding expanding vaccine eligibility to include second boosters for everyone, not just those over 50. The final decision, however, is up to both the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The team also spoke about an updated vaccine becoming available potentially during the fall. They add that if you get a booster now, it does not prevent you from getting the new vaccine when it becomes available.