Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The statewide positivity rate, now at 2.99 percent, dropped below 3 percent for the first time since November 23.

 

The Governor also said the first case of the South African variant has been identified in a resident of New York State. The sequencing, involving a Nassau County resident, was conducted at Opentrons Labworks Inc's Pandemic Response Lab, a New York City based commercial lab, and verified at the Wadsworth Center in Albany. Last week, a Connecticut resident who had been hospitalized in New York City was found to have the South African variant.  

 

"We continue to see a reduction in positivity and hospitalizations throughout the state, which is good news, and this progress is allowing us to reopen the valve on our economy even further," Governor Cuomo said. "But with the discovery of a case of the South African variant in the state, it's more important than ever for New Yorkers to stay vigilant, wear masks, wash hands and stay socially distanced. We are in a race right now — between our ability to vaccinate and these variants which are actively trying to proliferate — and we will only win that race if we stay smart and disciplined."

   

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 221,157
• Total Positive - 6,610
• Percent Positive - 2.99%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.44%
• Patient Hospitalization - 5,764 (-213)
• Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -829
• Patients Newly Admitted - 602
• Hospital Counties - 55
• Number ICU - 1,162 (+0)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 794 (-7)
• Total Discharges - 142,307 (+715)
• Deaths - 75
• Total Deaths - 37,851

 

The regional hospital bed capacity and occupancy numbers, including the number of hospitalizations as a percent of the region's population, is as follows:

 

Region	COVID Patients Currently in Hospital in Region	COVID Patients as Percent of Region Population	Percent of Hospital Beds Available Within 7 Days Under Surge Plan
Capital Region	168	0.02%	35%
Central New York	95	0.01%	32%
Finger Lakes	213	0.02%	40%
Long Island	983	0.03%	34%
Mid-Hudson	606	0.03%	43%
Mohawk Valley	109	0.02%	36%
New York City	3,130	0.04%	31%
North Country	74	0.02%	57%
Southern Tier	134	0.02%	47%
Western New York	252	0.02%	38%
Statewide	5,764	0.03%	35%

 

The regional ICU bed capacity and occupancy numbers are as follows:

 

Region	Total ICU Beds in Region	Total Occupied ICU Beds in Region	Percent of ICU Beds Available in Region (7-day Avg)
Capital Region	236	174	27%
Central New York	262	170	32%
Finger Lakes	397	246	37%
Long Island	857	662	22%
Mid-Hudson	678	394	40%
Mohawk Valley	127	93	29%
New York City	2,609	2,032	21%
North Country	60	29	45%
Southern Tier	126	74	44%
Western New York	545	344	38%
Statewide	5,897	4,218	28%

     

Each region's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

 

REGION	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Capital Region	2.09%	2.00%	1.90%
Central New York	1.41%	1.33%	1.24%
Finger Lakes	2.33%	2.37%	2.32%
Long Island	4.36%	4.31%	4.27%
Mid-Hudson	4.43%	4.14%	4.18%
Mohawk Valley	2.11%	2.11%	2.02%
New York City	4.40%	4.40%	4.41%
North Country	3.91%	3.95%	3.82%
Southern Tier	0.78%	0.76%	0.76%
Western New York	3.01%	2.87%	2.28%
Statewide	3.60%	3.53%	3.44%

 

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

 

BOROUGH	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Bronx	6.20%	6.00%	5.67%
Brooklyn	4.57%	4.56%	4.48%
Manhattan	3.01%	2.98%	2.91%
Queens	4.96%	4.95%	4.88%
Staten Island	4.57%	4.47%	4.23%

 

Of the 1,578,785 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

 

County	Total Positive	New Positive
Albany	20,392	56
Allegany	2,839	7
Broome	14,228	83
Cattaraugus	4,281	12
Cayuga	5,289	47
Chautauqua	7,185	33
Chemung	6,362	12
Chenango	2,376	17
Clinton	3,390	21
Columbia	3,318	6
Cortland	3,078	4
Delaware	1,448	10
Dutchess	21,565	113
Erie	63,468	220
Essex	1,298	7
Franklin	1,954	19
Fulton	3,202	32
Genesee	4,293	21
Greene	2,582	9
Hamilton	276	0
Herkimer	4,505	6
Jefferson	4,622	40
Lewis	2,005	9
Livingston	3,452	18
Madison	3,765	10
Monroe	51,564	141
Montgomery	3,095	16
Nassau	143,615	546
Niagara	14,984	27
NYC	684,185	3,384
Oneida	19,393	42
Onondaga	31,909	61
Ontario	5,646	20
Orange	35,648	152
Orleans	2,398	4
Oswego	5,894	19
Otsego	2,247	9
Putnam	8,116	31
Rensselaer	8,788	28
Rockland	37,579	101
Saratoga	11,604	44
Schenectady	10,624	31
Schoharie	1,168	8
Schuyler	850	3
Seneca	1,544	12
St. Lawrence	5,233	39
Steuben	5,426	11
Suffolk	158,029	513
Sullivan	4,616	22
Tioga	2,752	12
Tompkins	3,389	13
Ulster	9,754	56
Warren	2,769	6
Washington	2,248	16
Wayne	4,382	12
Westchester	104,400	410
Wyoming	2,756	8
Yates	1,007	1

 

Yesterday, 75 New Yorkers died due to COVID-19 in New York State, bringing the total to 37,851. A geographic breakdown is as follows, by county of residence:

 

Deaths by County of Residence
County	New Deaths
Albany	1
Bronx	5
Broome	1
Delaware	1
Dutchess	1
Erie	1
Kings	13
Lewis	1
Manhattan	6
Monroe	3
Nassau	4
Niagara	1
Oneida	1
Onondaga	1
Orange	2
Queens	14
Rensselaer	1
Rockland	2
Saratoga	2
Schenectady	1
Suffolk	9
Sullivan	1
Westchester	3