Encouraging fully vaccinated adults to get booster shots and expanding access to at-home COVID-19 test kits are among the efforts by New York's top elected officials to address the rise in virus cases around the state in recent weeks as uncertainty over the new omicron variant remains.

The effect the new variant will have on the pandemic is unclear, but the winter spike in cases — due in large part to the spread of the highly contagious delta variant — has led to a new push in the pandemic as more people spend time indoors and in the middle of the holiday season.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday at Grace Baptist Church in New York City urged people not just to be vaccinated, but to get another dose of the vaccine as the delta variant has been shown to penetrate the body's immune defenses, with omicron possibly showing some effectiveness against the vaccine as well.

Hochul in her remarks said she was hoping trust community members such as clergy would continue to urge people to get vaccinated.

"We're talking about the clergy; people trust the people who give them the word of God every week and nurse their hearts and souls and are there in their greatest time of need. So, I'm going to ask one more time. Yes, we need to continue getting vaccinated," she said. "Of course we do, you understand this. We wouldn't be in-person if you weren't vaccinated. But we have more people who need to get the booster shot."

Hochul's office on Sunday reported an additional 38 people were hospitalized due to the virus. Statewide, there are now 3,236 people hospitalized due to COVID-19.

The rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations comes as the state is facing a bed shortage at dozens of hospitals made worse by a lack of staff; New York health officials this week may limit elective surgeries and procedures at some of those facilities.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, called of an expansion of access to home COVID test kits after President Joe Biden's administration this month moved to require insurance companies to reimburse people for their cost.

But that regulation is not due to take effect until Jan. 15. So Schumer on Sunday called for an increase in at-home tests sent to community health centers and mobile sites in New York.

“While many portions of the country are waiting for the omicron variant to arrive, New York already has cases — but this doesn’t mean we should panic. It means we should be planning,” Schumer said.

Schumer wants the tests to be free and readily available for New Yorkers as more people are gathering indoors this holiday season. 

“We have this tool we didn’t have early on: an at-home test,” Schumer said. “It’s one of the keys to keeping this recovery going, and we ought to use them.”

Attorney General Letitia James, a Democratic candidate for governor, has pushed for a return to indoor mask requirements, which officials so far have only strongly encouraged in the state.

Two of James' backers, state Sen. Jessica Ramos and Manhattan Borough President-elect Mark Levine, endorsed the mask mandate this weekend.

“Attorney General Letitia James is right: We need a mask mandate, and we need it now," they said. "This is a time for decisive action, not delay. New York should catch up to other parts of the country by requiring this basic protection in public indoor settings. The state’s winter delta surge is mounting, and now there is community spread of omicron. Masks are clearly a critical tool for protecting New Yorkers at this challenging moment."