47°
There were 543 new cases in Suffolk, bringing the total to 57,909 since the pandemic began, while an additional 496 infections were reported in Nassau, as the total hit 57,985, according to the state Department of Health.
The number of new COVID-19 cases is the most in any county outside of Erie County and New York City.
According to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in the past three weeks, there has been a 149 percent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations on Long Island, from 141 patients in early November to 351 this week.
Projections also show that following the holiday season, which extends through Jan. 2 next year, if the numbers hold steady, Long Island could see the positive infection rate jump from 3.24 percent to 18.13 percent.
The overall infection rate of those tested on Long Island held stead in both Suffolk at 4.2 percent and Nassau at 4.3 percent.
The state Department of Health is reporting 2,244 virus-related deaths in Nassau and three new fatalities in Suffolk, bringing the death toll to 2,039.
On Long Island's designated COVID-19 micro-clusters, the state has seen some progress in the positive infection rate, with the numbers all dropping on Wednesday, Nov. 25:
- Great Neck: from 3.69 percent to 3.45 percent;
- Massapequa: 4.15 percent to 3.78 percent;
- Hampton Bays: 5.69 percent to 5.24 percent;
- Riverhead: 4.85 percent to 4.34 percent.
The latest breakdown of confirmed and new COVID-19 cases in Suffolk, according to the county Department of Health on Nov. 25:
- Islip: 16,429;
- Brookhaven: 14,477;
- Babylon: 9,044;
- Huntington: 7,129;
- Smithtown: 3,796;
- Southampton: 1,739;
- Riverhead: 1,097;
- Southold: 551;
- East Hampton: 440;
- Shelter Island: 15.
The most confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nassau County are being reported the county's Department of Health have been reported in:
- Hempstead: 2,818;
- Freeport: 2,173;
- Elmont: 1,737;
- Uniondale: 1,681;
- Valley Stream: 1,570;
- Levittown: 1,648;
- Hicksville: 1,497;
- East Meadow: 1,331;
- Glen Cove: 1,296;
- Long Beach: 1,121;
- Franklin Square: 1,135;
- Woodmere: 1,004;
- Baldwin: 930;
- Oceanside: 940;
- Roosevelt: 832;
- North Valley Stream: 801;
- New Cassel: 764.
"We said the COVID rate would increase over the fall because that's what was diagnosed. All the experts said you get into the fall, what you're going to see is the weather gets colder, college students come home, fewer outdoor gatherings, and COVID will go up. They diagnosed that, and that is exactly what we're seeing," Cuomo said.
"We have tremendous increases statewide that have been going up through the fall. We now have an added problem where we're going through Thanksgiving."
In the past 24 hours, 173,085 New Yorkers were tested for COVID-19, with 6,265 testing positive. The 3.62 percent infection rate is up from 2.96 percent the day before.
"Thanksgiving will be an added accelerant because people travel and there's more social activity. The more social activity, the more the infection rate goes up," Cuomo added. "We are going to see an increase post-Thanksgiving. That is going to take a bad situation and make it worse. How much the numbers go up depends on how people perform."
Since the pandemic began in March, there have been 18,187,840 New Yorkers tested for the virus, with 602,120 testing positive. The Department of Health has confirmed 26,390 COVID-19 fatalities.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Nassau and receive free news updates.
