NYC Covid-19 infection rate tops 5%: Mayor

New York, Dec 4 : New York City’s Covid-19 infection rate on a seven-day average surpassed 5 per cent for the first time in months, reaching a new high of 5.19 per cent, compared with 4.8 per cent one day earlier, Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted.
The rate has been above 3 per cent since November 18, and topped 4 per cent for the first time on Monday. Three per cent is deemed by the municipal government as a threshold for a second wave of the pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.
“We need every New Yorker to do their part to fight back #COVID — wear a mask, avoid large gatherings and get tested. For a FREE test,” added the mayor in his tweet.
Also on Thursday, the city government announced the creation of the Pandemic Response Institute (PRI), a facility dedicated to preparing New York City and other jurisdictions for future health emergencies and epidemics.
“PRI will strengthen New York City’s health infrastructure, build on the success of the Pandemic Response Lab and recent experiences in epidemic response, and position the City as a global leader in research, innovation, and pandemic response,” said an official release.
PRI will advance research, training, and innovation on outbreak detection, investigation, and management, it said.