NEW YORK — COVID-19 is apparently no match for an ex-cop.
New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams confirmed Monday that he’s bound for Africa — and declared that his time as an NYPD officer has rendered him unafraid of traveling to the continent despite international concern over a new coronavirus variant first detected there.
“I’m not afraid of anything. I’m an ex-cop. I’m ready to lead my city,” Adams, a retired NYPD captain, told the New York Daily News after being asked whether he was concerned about traveling to Ghana later in the day as New Yorkers brace for omicron, a new variant of COVID-19 first reported in southern Africa.
Omicron has not yet been reported in New York, but public health experts say it’s likely only a matter of time before it arrives, and President Joe Biden’s administration has banned travel from eight southern African nations to curb potential spread.
Meantime, researchers fear omicron could be exceedingly more contagious than other COVID-19 strains — and potentially resistant to available vaccines, with cases popping up across the world in recent days.
Still, Adams said he’s moving ahead with his Ghana trip to fulfill a long-planned pledge of visiting the Western African nation to mark the 400th anniversary of slavery in the U.S.
“This is a spiritual journey for me,” Adams said, speaking after an unrelated press conference in Brooklyn. “My ancestors came over here in the bottom of slave ships, and 400 years later, I’m the mayor of one of the most important cities, the city of New York. I’m going there to pray. I’m going there to do some spiritual cleansing.”
Adams, who will become the second Black mayor in city history when he’s sworn in on Jan. 1, said he will stay in Ghana through Dec. 8.
Adams noted that his trip complies with current federal public health guidance — Ghana is not among the countries covered by the Biden administration’s travel restrictions — and noted that he recently received a booster shot on top of his full vaccination against COVID-19.
“I have said time and time again that I will follow the science and our public health professionals as a leader — and right now travel is banned only to Southern African countries out of an abundance of caution,” he said. “Should the federal government change their guidance on travel, I will immediately follow it. Meanwhile, New Yorkers must remain vigilant about preventing the spread of COVID, including wearing masks and getting their vaccines and booster shots.”
It was not clear Monday afternoon if omicron has reached Ghana, where only about 18% of the population has received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, according to The Associated Press.
Multiple sources told the Daily News on Sunday that Adams initially planned on traveling to Europe this week, but that he had second thoughts about his trip because of omicron.
Adams’ decision to follow through with his overseas trip comes as local and national leaders are scrambling to prepare for omicron.
In the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration issued new guidance Monday “strongly” urging all New Yorkers to wear face masks in indoor public settings and rolled out a new vaccination mandate for some 100,000 child care workers.
Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city’s health commissioner, said he has no doubt that omicron will eventually hit the Big Apple.
“We do anticipate detecting omicron in the coming days, based on what we know about its global spread,” Chokshi tweeted.
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