Up Close: NYC COVID infection rate spikes, how to protect against infection

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- On this episode of Up Close, New York City enters yet another wave of the coronavirus pandemic just as summer begins to peak.

The positivity rate is more than 15%, a statistic that doesn't include those who do at-home tests and don't report their positive results.

Even so, the latest map from the New York City Health Department shows some neighborhoods reporting positivity rates of more than 20%.

The latest surge is being fueled by the omicron subvariants BA-4 and BA-5.

So how do they compare to other variants and what do you need to do to protect yourself?

Dr. Jay Varma, an expert on diseases and Director of Pandemic Prevention and Response at Weill Cornell joins us to discuss all the ways you can minimize potential exposure.

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Up Close with Bill Ritter airs Sunday mornings at 11:00 on Channel 7.