ALBANY, N.Y. (WENY) - New York State has announced new COVID preparedness initiatives ahead of the fall season.

Governor Kathy Hochul said New York is working closely with public health experts to craft a fall action plan to address the potential for seasonal COVID-19 surges later this year.

"Since day one, my top priority has been to keep New Yorkers safe, especially as we prioritize safely navigating forward through this pandemic," Governor Hochul said. "My team is working around the clock to bolster our preparedness against future pandemic surges and other related public health emergencies both in the short-term and the long-term. We've made real progress in our fight against COVID-19, and we remain vigilant in making sure that New York State emerges stronger than ever before."

The state is also working on strategies to allow students to return safely to school this fall.

The plans include distributing 3 million tests to schools before the beginning of the school year and encouraging more New Yorkers to get vaccinated and boosted.