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With the state now evaluating specific numbers daily and conducting more than 50,000 tests daily statewide, the number of potential COVID-19 patients testing positive for the virus has remained steady throughout the week.
On Tuesday, June 9 1.2 percent of Hudson Valley residents tested for COVID-19 were positive, fluctuating to .8 percent the following day and back up to 1.1 percent on Thursday, June 11.
The Hudson Valley region is made up of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties.
“We’ve been talking about a lot of numbers during the past 104 days, whether it’s the hospitalization numbers or the ICU number, but now the number to watch is the daily testing numbers,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during his daily COVID-19 press briefing on Friday, June 12 in Manhattan.
“Those 50,000 tests per day will tell you immediately what’s happen with the infection rate. We’re starting to reopen, so we’re going to watch those numbers to see what’s happening in each region.”
Cuomo noted that as of June 12, 23 states that reopened already have seen an increase in cases of COVID-19, with 15 reporting new highs in the past 24 hours, while New York continues to see a decline.
“Where we are today is a pivotal point in this entire situation with coronavirus,” Cuomo said. “We’re seeing states all across the nation where the infection rate is going up dramatically. You see states that reopened and are having to scale back their reopening. That’s how bad the spikes are.
He continued: “We’ve seen these numbers increase before … we’ve been here. This is deja vu,” he said. “The numbers are going up, which is common sense. When you reopen you can’t be surprised when infection rates go up, unless you are very smart and disciplined about the way you reopen.”
The infection rate in New York is now the lowest in the nation, after once being the hottest spot for COVID-19 in the country, according to newly released data from the founders of Instagram.
“New York State has the lowest rate of transmission, meaning the virus is spreading at the lowest rate in New York out of every state in America,” Cuomo said. “That is incredible. And it’s because New Yorkers stepped up, and were smart, and disciplined, and did what they had to do.”
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