45°
The positive testing rates for the last three days in the Hudson Valley are as follows:
- Thursday, Dec. 17: 6.17 percent
- Friday, Dec. 18: 6.27 percent
- Saturday, Dec. 19: 6.36 percent
Here's a rundown of new cases in the Hudson Valley's seven counties:
- Westchester County, 535
- Orange County, 196
- Rockland County, 151
- Dutchess County, 148
- Ulster County, 59
- Sullivan County, 58
- Putnam County, 50
- Total number of new cases: 1,197
There were 123 COVID deaths statewide on Saturday, with 17 in the Hudson Valley (six in Westchester County, five in Rockland County, three in Orange County, two in Ulster County and one in Dutchess County), bringing the total to 28,598 during the pandemic.
Here is statewide data for Saturday:
- Test Results Reported - 197,251
- Tested Positive - 9,957
- Percent Positive - 5.05%
- Patient Hospitalization - 6,185 (-23)
- Patients Newly Admitted - 822
- Number ICU - 1,045 (-43)
- Number ICU with Intubation - 600 (-10)
- Total Discharges - 95,307 (+728)
- Deaths - 123
On Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the federal government to take action in the wake of a new, highly contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus circulating in the United Kingdom.
Several European countries have already imposed new restrictions on individuals traveling from the United Kingdom, including banning travelers and mandatory testing measures.
"There is a disturbing story coming out of the United Kingdom of a highly contagious new variant of the COVID-19 virus," Cuomo said. "A number of countries have banned people from the UK, and 120 countries demand that before you get on a flight in the UK to come to their country, you have to have tested negative.
"The United States has a number of flights coming in from the UK each day and we have done absolutely nothing. To me, this is reprehensible because this is what happened in the spring.
"How many times in life do you have to make the same mistake before you learn? The federal government is being grossly negligent just like the spring, and every day they do nothing on this problem, they do something.
"It's high time the federal government takes swift action, because today that variant is getting on a plane and landing in JFK, and all it takes is one person."
Click here to follow Daily Voice East Dutchess and receive free news updates.
