Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced New York's new health commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett on Dec. 2. "I've learned the importance of truth-telling," Bassett said during remarks at a news conference in New York City, adding, "I'll tell the governor what we know, what we don't know, and what our best judgment is and I'll tell the public the same thing." Bassett, a former New York City health commissioner, replaces Dr. Howard Zucker, who was tainted by investigations into Gov. Andrew Cuomo's handling of the pandemic reporting in nursing home fatalities. The new health commissioner takes over as COVID-19 case counts are climbing again, and hospital beds are filling up across the state. So far, Hochul is not taking any radical action to stop the spread, "I'm not prepared to shut down schools or the economy, no," Hochul said. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.