New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wants Congress to pass additional COVID-19 federal funding that would go toward preparation for future variants and ensure an adequate supply of testing and vaccines, according to a letter she sent Tuesday to members of the state congressional delegation.

"New variants, such as the B.A.2 variant, continue to arise, and without additional federal funds the proven tools we have come to rely on, most notably vaccines and boosters, may not be readily available for all New Yorkers. We cannot let partisan ideology drive what must be a public health response," Hochul wrote in the letter.

The governor and other state health officials said a week ago they were monitoring the new subvariant of omicron, but weren't expecting a significant surge of coronavirus cases like the state saw in December and January. The state reported Tuesday a 3.15% infection rate, with 2,400 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.

"Three months ago, New York was once again the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, this time battered by Omicron," the governor's letter said. "Our daily case rates shattered previous records, reaching over 90,000 new cases a day, and again, our hospitals were stretched. Yet despite the astronomical rise in caseloads, this time we had the nation's medicine cabinet stocked with effective vaccines, booster doses, testing, and treatment. These tools made all the difference, and were available to us because of decisive action by you and your colleagues in Congress through previous relief and preparedness legislation like the American Rescue Plan."

Hochul says that funding from Washington helped keep schools and businesses open and helped avoid the kind of shutdowns the state endured in the spring of 2020 during the pandemic's outset, despite the high infection rate seen three months ago.

"Should B.A.2 follow the trajectory of Omicron, ensuring our residents have access to an additional booster will be a critical component of our response," the governor wrote. "Without additional federal funding, access to this necessary tool may be limited. COVID has proven time and time again to be unpredictable, wreaking havoc over red and blue states alike. Vaccines remain our best defense against severe disease and hospitalization - now is not the time to be complacent."

U.S. regulators on Tuesday authorized another booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for those 50 years old and older.

"I urge you to work with your colleagues across Congress to find a path forward to ensure that we never repeat those dark days of March 2020," Hochul's letter said. "We must ensure the necessary resources are in place to continue to respond to COVID-19, while protecting the current commitments from the federal government, including State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds."

The Biden administration has most recently called for more than $22 billion in additional pandemic aid funding.