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According to the state Department of Health, the seven-day rolling positivity average rose from 4.43 percent on Friday, March 19 to 4.44 percent the following two days. Statewide, the positivity rate rose slightly from 3.26 percent to 3.29 percent during that same stretch.
According to the state Department of Health, there were 540 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Nassau, as the total rose to 161,948, while there were 612 cases reported in Suffolk for a total of 176,140 since the pandemic began more than a year ago.
Five new COVID-19 fatalities in Suffolk brought the death toll to 3,207, while there were none reported in Nassau, as the death toll held at 3,017.
As of Monday, March 22, there were 787 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on Long Island, representing 0.03 percent of the region's population and leaving 33 percent of hospital beds still available.
The state was also reporting 642 of Long Island's 851 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, leaving 23 percent available in case of another surge of the virus.
The latest breakdown of the communities with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nassau, according to the most recent data provided by the county Department of Health on March 22:
- Levittown: 4,592;
- Hicksville: 3,756;
- Hempstead: 3,756;
- Freeport: 3,593;
- East Meadow: 3,323;
- Valley Stream: 3,248;
- Elmont: 2,819;
- Oceanside: 2,781;
- Long Beach: 2,762;
- Franklin Square: 2,711;
- Glen Cove: 2,549;
- Uniondale: 2,362;
- Massapequa: 2,020;
- Rockville Centre: 1,964;
- Baldwin: 1,842;
- Woodmere: 1,793;
- North Bellmore: 1,736;
- Plainview: 1,721;
- Wantagh: 1,719;
- West Hempstead: 1,692
- North Massapequa: 1,688;
- Mineola: 1,627;
- Lynbrook: 1,622;
- Merrick: 1,601;
- Garden City: 1,581;
- East Massapequa: 1,556;
- Massapequa Park: 1,540;
- Seaford: 1,516;
- Bethpage: 1,482.
The breakdown of cases reported in Suffolk County, according to the Department of Health:
- Brookhaven: 49,569;
- Islip: 43,387;
- Babylon: 24,387;
- Huntington: 20,098;
- Smithtown: 12,403;
- Southampton: 5,144;
- Riverhead: 3,272;
- Southold: 1,547;
- East Hampton: 1,520;
- Shelter Island: 50.
There were 152,328 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on March 21 according to Cuomo, resulting in 4,470 new cases for a 4.18 percent positive infection rate, up slightly from the previous day.
There were 54 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
"We're working 24/7 to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as quickly as possible, but new variants are spreading across the state and it's critical for residents to continue practicing safe behaviors," Cuomo said.
"We've expanded eligibility and opened new vaccination sites to serve more New Yorkers faster, and we'll continue to stay focused on those efforts going forward. New Yorkers can get through the COVID-19 pandemic together, but it's going to take more effort to keep residents and families safe and healthy."
Statewide, a total of 1,781,316 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of nearly 43 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 39,924 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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