In the Hudson Valley, the state Department of Health reported that the seven-day positive infection rate in those tested for COVID-19 in the Hudson Valley has dropped over the past five days:
- Saturday, Jan. 23: 6.85 percent;
- Sunday, Jan. 24: 6.77 percent;
- Monday, Jan. 25: 6.84 percent;
- Tuesday, Jan. 26: 6.70 percent;
- Wednesday, Jan. 27: 6.49 percent.
The statewide average is down to 5.52 percent after beginning at 5.99 percent during that same time span as the state distances itself from the holiday season.
Hospitalizations are down slightly, to 1,046 in the Hudson Valley, representing 0.05 percent of the region's population and approximately 40 percent of hospital beds are still available, among the highest percentage of the state's 10 regions.
As of Thursday, Jan. 28, there are 426 COVID-19 patients in ICU, filling approximately 65 percent of the region's designated beds, while the number of intubations continues to rise slightly.
A breakdown of new cases in each of the Hudson Valley's seven counties is as follows:
- Westchester: 839 new (92,062 total);
- Orange County: 241 (31,378);
- Rockland: 226 (33,995);
- Dutchess: 176 (18,553);
- Ulster County: 91 (8,533);
- Putnam: 59 (7,171);
- Sullivan: 28 (4,122);
- Total: 1,660 (195,814).
New deaths were also reported in:
- Westchester: 11 (1,875 total);
- Dutchess: 2 (347);
- Ulster: 2 (207);
- Sullivan: 2 (55);
- Rockland: 1 (645);
- Orange: 0 (586);
- Putnam: 0 (79);
- Total: 18 (3,794).
"New York State is once again making our way down the mountain after experiencing a holiday surge," Cuomo said. "Our infection and hospitalization rates are steadily declining thanks to the actions of New Yorkers, but there is still more work to be done."
There were 250,668 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on Jan. 27, according to Cuomo, resulting in 13,398 new cases for a 5.34 percent positive infection rate, down from more than six percent earlier in the week.
Two hundred and fifty-one COVID-19 patients were discharged from New York hospitals, leaving 8,520 still being treated statewide. There are 1,584 patients in ICU and 1,024 are currently intubated. There were 162 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
"While more vaccines are on the way from the Biden administration, we must continue actively working to protect our hospitals and their staff to help ensure they do not become overwhelmed," Cuomo added. "We are all feeling COVID fatigue, but New Yorkers have the tools to fight the war - wear a mask, social distance, and avoid gatherings."
Statewide, a total of 1,374,480 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of 31.37 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 34,742 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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