New York City has raised its Covid-19 alert level to high amid increasing pressure on the health care system. The city upped the warning from medium after signaling that the change could be imminent.

Guidance during a high alert level encourages New Yorkers to wear a face mask in all public indoor settings and crowded outdoor settings. Mayor Eric Adams said that he was not at the point of reinstating a mask requirement.

Alert levels take into account cases, hospital admissions and the percentage of inpatient beds that are occupied by Covid-19 patients. Early in May, the city moved to a medium alert from low after surpassing 200 new cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period.

As of May 13, new cases were at 292. A high alert level is triggered when new hospital admissions over seven days surpass 10 per 100,000 and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by Covid patients is greater than 10%, according to guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New admissions were at 9.8 per 100,000 and increasing as of May 13, while 4.14% of inpatients beds were occupied by Covid patients.

City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said he expects the current wave’s peak won’t last long if residents follow guidance.

(c) 2022, Bloomberg · Luke McGrath