Due to steadily rising COVID-19 cases, New York City is expected to raise it’s alert level from “low risk” to “medium risk” by early next week. NY1 reports that the New York State Department of Health has identified two “highly contagious” omicron subvariants that are causing cases to rise across the city. Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the city’s health commissioner, told NY1 that the new subvariants are “certainly being transmitted faster than the original omicron variant” and encouraged New Yorkers to double down on wearing masks, especially while indoors.