Carl Campanile reports in the New York Post that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Nov. 26, the first COVID-19 action by the leader of New York in a long time. It comes as the state, and the world, face the emergence of the new Omicron coronavirus variant in South Africa. Hochul is ordering hospitals to postpone elective hospital surgeries in hospitals at or below 10 percent of available staffed bed capacity, so there are enough hospital beds for the expected new cases. “We’ve taken extraordinary action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and combat this pandemic. However, we continue to see warning signs of spikes this upcoming winter, and while the new Omicron variant has yet to be detected in New York State, it’s coming,” Hochul said. "In preparation, I am announcing urgent steps today to expand hospital capacity and help ensure our hospital systems can tackle any challenges posed by the pandemic as we head into the winter months. The vaccine remains one of our greatest weapons in fighting the pandemic, and I encourage every New Yorker to get vaccinated, and get the booster if you’re fully vaccinated.” The new executive order goes into effect Dec. 3. Read more about this story in the New York Post.