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Cuomo: Virus positivity rate in NY lowest since Thanksgiving

WXXI News | By Randy Gorbman

Published February 20, 2021 at 2:59 PM EST

The first cases of COVID-19 were located in Wuhan, China in December of last year. Within months, the novel coronavirus responsible for the disease has spread across the globe. In Monroe County 364 people have died of COVID-19 to date.

(AP & WXXI News) Hospitalizations are continuing to decline and the rate of New Yorkers testing positive for COVID-19 has fallen to the lowest mark since before Thanksgiving, state officials said Saturday.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state's seven-day rolling average positivity rate has fallen 43 straight days, hitting 3.5% on Friday. The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus, meanwhile, fell below 6,000 for the first time since Dec. 14.

The state said 97 New Yorkers died of the coronavirus on Friday, bringing the state's official death total to 37,776.

Monroe County on Saturday reported 174 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths.

The seven-day rolling average positivity rate for Monroe County is 2.3%

There are 215 people in the Finger Lakes Region hospitalized; 63 of them are in ICU.

The percentage of total hospital beds available in the Finger Lakes region on a seven-day rolling average is 40%.

The percentage of ICU Beds available in the Finger Lakes region on a seven-day rolling average is 37%.

Cuomo asked New Yorkers to remain patient with the vaccinations, as the state's distribution network and population of eligible recipients — 10 million — continues to far exceed supply coming from the federal government. The state now has the resources to vaccinate up to 100,000 New Yorkers every day, he said, but not nearly enough vaccines to do so.

The new numbers came as the state also launched NY PopsUp, a pilot program that will feature the first indoor live performances since the pandemic began. The festival begins Saturday at the Javits Center in Manhattan and is being coordinated with state public health officials.

On Sunday, Feb. 21, Garth Fagan Dance from Rochester will lead a special performance at RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios, as a tribute to staff who made it possible for RIT to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Garth Fagan Danceis having the Sunday performance recorded and it hopes to make that available for general viewing sometime in March.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.