More than 70% of all COVID-19 cases in New York City might be linked to variants and could explain why daily infections remain at a high plateau, report finds
In January, 10% of all New York City samples submitted to global genome sequencing database GISAID were linked to variants
By March, that figure shot up to more than 70%, mostly the NYC variant, known as B.1.526, the UK variant, known as B.1.1.7
Fewer than 100 samples of B.1.526 were being sequenced per week at the end of January, which increased to more than 1,200 per week as of late March
B.1.1.7 accounted for less than 100 samples sequenced by beginning of February but now makes up more than 600 samples
Firefighters found a smoke alarm inside the multifamily house on 157th St. near 46th Ave. in East Flushing after it caught ablaze at about 1:10 a.m., but it wasn’t activated, according to the FDNY.