NY hits record 44,400 COVID cases in 24-hour period; Hochul defends omicron response

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul defended her response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday, insisting that the state acted early and did all it could against the omicron variant’s rapid spread. “This [omicron] is a very, very contagious variant,” Hochul said. The state Health Department on Friday reported a record-high 44,431 new [...]