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Covid-19: Hudson Valley Positive-Test Rate Falls, But Still Second-Highest In State; New Data

The COVID-19 positive infection rate has dipped below 6 percent in the Hudson Valley for the first time since the post-holiday surge in new cases, though there were nearly two dozen virus-related deaths reported in the region.

The Hudson Valley has among the highest positivity rates in New York.

The Hudson Valley has among the highest positivity rates in New York.

Photo Credit: ny.gov
The percentage of Hudson Valley residents hospitalized with COVID-19.

The percentage of Hudson Valley residents hospitalized with COVID-19.

Photo Credit: ny.gov

In the latest data released by the state Department of Health, a total of 1,125 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Hudson Valley, though the average seven-day infection rate dropped from 6.23 percent to 6.03 percent over the weekend, and down to 5.76 percent as of Tuesday, Feb. 2.

The infection rate continues to drop, but is still the second-highest of the state's 10 regions, better than only Long Island's 6.03 percent rate. 

There have been 25 straight days of the seven-day average infection declining, from a peak of 7.94 percent on Jan. 4 to 4.95 percent on Feb. 1, the first time it was under 5 percent since Dec. 6, the beginning of the "holiday surge" of COVID-19 cases that began with Thanksgiving.

"The holiday surge has tapered off and we're on the decline," Cuomo added. "It's the first time we've had this low of a positivity rate since the beginning of December, which was just at the start of the holiday surge. So we saw the infection started spreading on Thanksgiving."

Hospitalizations are down slightly, to 930 in the Hudson Valley, representing 0.04 percent of the region's population and approximately 42 percent of hospital beds are still available, among the highest percentage of the state's 10 regions.

As of Feb. 2, there are 393 COVID-19 patients in ICU in the Hudson Valley, filling approximately 60 percent of the region's designated beds, while the number of intubations rose slightly.

A breakdown of new cases in each of the Hudson Valley's seven counties is as follows:

  • Westchester: 605 new (95,303 total);
  • Dutchess: 112 (19,408);
  • Orange County: 173 (32,580);
  • Rockland: 126 (34,830);
  • Ulster County: 41 (8,899);
  • Putnam: 39 (7,423);
  • Sullivan: 29 (4,250);
  • Total: 1,125 (202,693).

New deaths were also reported in:

  • Westchester: 10 (1,916 total);
  • Dutchess: 6 (363);
  • Orange: 2 (589);
  • Rockland: 1 (652);
  • Ulster: 1 (211);
  • Sullivan: 1 (56).
  • Putnam: 0 (81);
  • Total: 21 (3,858).

There were 150,199 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on Feb. 1, according to Cuomo, resulting in 8,067 new cases for a 5.47 percent positive infection rate, down from more than six percent earlier in the week.

Sixty-four COVID-19 patients were admitted into New York hospitals, as the total rose to 8,067 still being treated statewide, down by more than 500 a week ago. There are 1,503 patients in ICU, and 1,004 are currently intubated. There were 146 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.

Statewide, there have been 1,427,379 confirmed COVID-19 cases in New York out of 32.48 million tested. There have been 35,466 virus-related deaths reported since the pandemic began

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