New York City health officials ended its COVID-19 alert system, which informed residents of changes in transmission levels, Bloomberg reported July 1.
As of June 28, the city's website said it was at "medium risk level" and encouraged residents to wear a mask indoors in public spaces.
The website now says the city is experiencing high transmission levels of COVID-19, without including an alert level, though masking recommendations remain unchanged. The website also said the city's alert system is under evaluation.
At a press conference June 30, New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said, "We’re [at] a different phase of the pandemic that demands new analytical tools to match our assessments and communications about risk with reality, accounting for the multiple inequitable realities faced by New Yorkers and Americans of different stripes and different situations."
City data shows a seven-day average of 3,441 positive cases on July 1, up from 3,009 the previous week. Daily hospitalizations were on a decline with the seven-day average at 79 on July 1, down from 106 the previous week.