Hospital case numbers falling
One in four New York residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19, Cuomo says
Hospitalizations associated with coronavirus continue to decrease in New York — even as the state continues to have among the highest caseloads of newly infected people in the U.S.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York on Saturday, at 4,083, represents a precipitous drop by more than half since a high of 9,273 people Jan. 19 during the post-holiday surge.
The number of patients in the intensive care unit have also declined from a few days ago, from 947 on April 7 to 877 on Saturday. About the same number of people died Saturday, 53, as has been seen in daily death tolls for the past few weeks.
Decreasing hospitalizations are happening at the same time as increasing vaccinations. On Sunday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office reported that now one in four New Yorkers are vaccinated against COVID-19. Last week vaccination was opened to all residents over the age of 16.
While New York is among six states with the highest rates of infection in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been some movement downward in the past week. The seven-day average of the percentage of tests that came back positive Saturday was 3.3 percent, which was last at that level March 22.
In the Capital Region, though, new cases continue to remain stagnant. The seven-day average of new cases testing positive was 2.4 percent Saturday, which is the same as it was on March 30.
“New York is moving forward fighting the COVID-19 pandemic as we expand
eligibility for the vaccine and open pop-up sites to serve the communities hardest hit by the virus across the state. The pandemic isn’t over, and New Yorkers need to continue practicing safe behaviors and following the public health guidance as we work toward a brighter future,” Cuomo said in a statement Sunday. “I know this has been a long year and that COVID fatigue has set in, but with patience and commitment we can make progress and defeat this beast once and for all.”