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A total of 875 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Hudson Valley in the past 24. hours, according to the state Department of Health, as the seven-day average infection rate dropped from a small spike in the weekend to 4.18 percent on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Statewide, the infection rate dipped slightly from 3.53 percent to 3.36 percent over the same stretch.
Only New York City (4.35 percent) had a higher infection rate according to the latest data.
As of Wednesday, Feb. 24, there were 611 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the Hudson Valley, representing 0.03 percent of the region's population and leaving 44 percent of the region's hospital beds still available.
The state was also reporting 402 of the region's 676 ICU beds as occupied by COVID-19 patients, leaving 41 percent available in case of another surge of the virus.
If the Hudson Valley - or any of the state's nine other regions - finds itself in danger of hitting its 90 percent hospital capacity rate within three weeks, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has vowed to shut down the entire region.
A breakdown of new cases in each of the Hudson Valley's seven counties is as follows:
- Westchester: 382 new (105,550 total);
- Orange County: 177 (36,102);
- Rockland: 115 (37,948);
- Dutchess: 93 (21,862);
- Putnam: 50 (8,204);
- Ulster County: 42 (9,854);
- Sullivan: 16 (4,662);
- Total: 875 (224,182).
New deaths were also reported in:
- Westchester: 8 (2,077 total);
- Rockland: 1 (685);
- Orange: 1 (634);
- Dutchess: 0 (404);
- Ulster: 0 (226);
- Putnam: 0 (86);
- Sullivan: 0 (59).
- Total: 10 (4,171).
There were 216,813 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on Feb. 23, according to Cuomo, resulting in 6,189 new cases for a 2.85 percent positive infection rate, down slightly from the previous day
There were 99 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
Cuomo made note that 91 percent of the first COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated to New Have have been administered as of 11 a.m. on Feb. 23.
A total of 2,477,825 first doses have been received, with 2,252,945 administered. New York has received 1,390,250 second doses, with 1,183,999 being administered to complete the vaccine.
Statewide, a total of 1,578,785 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of more than 36 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 37,851 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
"New Yorkers have shown courage and fortitude in the face of this unprecedented pandemic, and it's thanks to them that we're seeing a decline in hospitalizations and in the COVID positivity rate," Cuomo said. "The vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel and we're continuing to aggressively expand our statewide network of distribution sites, but we need more supply to thoroughly vaccinate the population and begin our transition to a post-pandemic world.
"That means that until we have enough supply, New Yorkers should continue practicing the safe behaviors that have made such a difference fighting in this virus so far—wash your hands, wear a mask, practice social distancing and stay safe."
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