A highly contagious Omicron subvariant has made its way to New York and makes up about half of all news cases.

On Monday, Gov. Hochul announced New York State is seeing a small uptick in new COVID infections.

"The best way to keep the numbers down is by using the tools we know work. If you feel sick, get tested. If you test positive, talk to a doctor right away about treatments. Together we will continue to move forward safely through this pandemic," Hochul said.

Covid-19 Testing Facilities At Schiphol Airport
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New York officials are worried about an Omicron subvariant, BA.2.

"We are closely monitoring BA.2, and will continue to stay vigilant by making tests, vaccines and boosters widely available," Hochul added.

The Omicron subvariant is surging in Europe and China. It's considered to be more contagious than Omicron. Health officials believe it's about 50 percent more contagious than the original Omicron strain.

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The subvariant makes up roughly 42-percent of the COVID cases in New York, according to New York health officials.

Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor
Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor
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"We’ve never taken our foot off the gas when it comes to fighting COVID," Hochul tweeted about the subvariant. "We’re making tests and treatments available, building our stockpile, and closely monitoring BA.2. If you feel sick, get tested. If you test positive, talk to a doctor right away about treatment."

Governor Kathy Hochul holds a COVID-19 briefing in Albany.
Don Pollard
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The good news, as of Tuesday, State officials don't think there will be a steep surge in new cases as a result of an Omicron subvariant.

Dr. Anthony Fauci also doesn't think there will be a surge but does believe the U.S. is likely to see an uptick in cases thanks to the Omicron subvariant.

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Fauci doesn't think there will be a need to reverse relaxed restrictions but adds it's not time to declare victory over COVID due to the current "lull" in COVID cases.

President Biden Provides Update On Omicron Coronavirus Variant
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The White House chief medical advisor also says Americans should be ready to "pivot" to COVID restrictions if things suddenly got worse.

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