Governor Hochul's COVID surge plan calls for boosters for SUNY, CUNY students, extends 'Vax or Mask'

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Governor Kathy Hochul released a plan to combat the coronavirus in New York State on New Year's Eve called Winter Surge Plan 2.0.

It renews her commitment to push residents to get themselves vaccinated and boosted, get their kids vaccinated, and do everything she can to help keep kids in school.

The plan notably requires CUNY and SUNY students to have their COVID booster shot in order to return following winter break by January 15. Students must also have a negative PCR test. There is also a requirement for staff to be vaccinated.

"In order to return to your college campus, you have to be boosted, this will be part of the reopening. You have to be boosted when they are eligible, we understand students just vaccinated in the last six months are not eligible for the booster. We know the date they received the first vaccination so we know when they are eligible to be boosted. This takes effect January 15th," she said.

Governor Hochul also announced that she is extending the "Vax or Mask" mandate in the state until February 1.

Her Winter Surge Plan 2.0 was broken down into five parts:

1) Keep kids in school

2) Keep wearing masks and testing

3) Prevent severe illness and deaths

4) Keep increasing vaccines and boosters for adults and kids

5) Keep working in collaboration with local leaders

Governor Hochul said that she has asked the federal government to allow the state to limit visits to nursing homes and congregate settings to vaccinated individuals for at least the next two weeks, however that is not yet the case. So, in the meantime, she is urging anyone who has a loved one in a nursing home to only visit if they are vaccinated to help protect their loved one and their neighbors.

Unvaccinated nursing home residents, "are highly vulnerable right now because it is starting to spread through nursing homes," Hochul said.

She also said that 80 National Guard members are undergoing EMT training to have more members available to help in medical settings.

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