Buffalo, NY (WBEN) As hospitalization rates for COVID continue to come down, one doctor says the likelihood of rates rising to the point of overwhelming hospitals is unlikely.
"I think that's largely behind us," says Dr. Tom Russo of UB, even if not everyone gets vaccinated. "If we don't get a significant number of people vaccinated, we go into the cooler months, Halloween and Thanksgiving season, and we'll see a blip of cases of those still susceptible, but it won't be in the same magnitude."
Russo says cases will continue to be diagnosed, but at continually lower rates as people get vaccinated. "I think what we'll see is even a lower level than the St. Patrick's Day/Easter bump in cases. We're going to have a great summer in Buffalo, and hopefully more people will be vaccinated," predicts Russo.
On the legal issues, attorney Paul Cambria says lower hospitalization rates justify doing away with even more restrictions. "It clearly is a substantial reason, and you can recall in the very beginning the governor saying we can't do this because here's the capacity for sick people, and the numbers overwhelm our capacity," says Cambria in justifying regulations.
Cambria says the opposite is true now. "As it goes down, now the inverse argument should be available. If it is enough to justify them in the beginning, it should be enough to remove them as the numbers slide down," explains Cambria.
Masks became optional for vaccinated New Yorkers in most places Wednesday.