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Suffolk County was reporting 612 newly confirmed cases, as the total rose to 181,618 in the county since the pandemic began. In Nassau, 516 newly confirmed infections saw the total hit 166,881.
The eight new fatalities in each county brought the death toll to 3,243 in Suffolk and 3,046 in Nassau, while the infection rate remained at 4.34 percent on Monday, March 29 out of 22,774 Long Islanders tested for COVID-19, the second-highest rate in the state.
Only the mid-Hudson Valley (4.71 percent) and New York City (4.21) percent had infection rates higher than 3.5 percent on March 29 out of the state's 10 regions.
Statewide, the seven-day average infection rate in New York was at 3.43 percent.
As of Tuesday, March 30, there were 827 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. There were 633 patients in ICU, leaving 23 percent of beds available in Suffolk and Nassau.
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 29:
- Levittown: 4,751;
- Hicksville: 3,877;
- Hempstead: 3,737;
- Freeport: 3,688;
- East Meadow: 3,410;
- Valley Stream: 3,368;
- Elmont: 2,932;
- Oceanside: 2,863;
- Long Beach: 2,822;
- Franklin Square: 2,813;
- Glen Cove: 2,628;
- Uniondale: 2,423;
- Massapequa: 2,077;
- Rockville Centre: 2,022;
- Baldwin: 1,892;
- Woodmere: 1,869;
- North Bellmore: 1,794;
- Plainview: 1,776;
- Wantagh: 1,767;
- North Massapequa: 1,754;
- West Hempstead: 1,739;
- Mineola: 1,678;
- Merrick: 1,662;
- Lynbrook: 1,652;
- Garden City: 1,646;
- East Massapequa: 1,598;
- Massapequa Park: 1,585;
- Seaford: 1,558;
- Bethpage: 1,547.
The breakdown of cases reported in Suffolk County, according to the Department of Health:
- Brookhaven: 51,541;
- Islip: 44,712;
- Babylon: 25,417;
- Huntington: 20,726;
- Smithtown: 12,843;
- Southampton: 5,268;
- Riverhead: 3,353;
- Southold: 1,575;
- East Hampton: 1,550;
- Shelter Island: 50.
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday blamed new variants of the virus and states for lifting restrictions.
“The variants are playing a part, but it is not completely the variants. What we’re likely seeing is because of things like spring break and pulling back on the mitigation methods that you’ve seen,” he said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“Now, several states have done that. I believe it’s premature … because when I’ve said many times to you that when you’re coming down from a big peak and you reach a point and start to plateau, once you stay at that plateau, you’re really in danger of a surge coming up.”
There were 151,437 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on Monday, March 29, according to Cuomo, resulting in 6,488 new cases for a 3.43 percent positive infection rate, up slightly from the previous day.
One hundred and forty more COVID-19 patients were admitted into New York hospitals, leaving 4,715 still being treated statewide. There are 903 in ICU and 523 intubated.
There were 61 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
"New Yorkers have shown time and again the strength and discipline it takes to fight COVID, but there's more work to be done before we reach the light at the end of the tunnel. We're working 24/7 to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible, and while those efforts are bearing fruit, we need everyone to keep up the vigilance," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
"We're expanding eligibility and opening more vaccine sites around the state but the new variants are a concern. I urge New Yorkers to continue wearing masks, socially distancing, and following the public health guidance as we work to defeat the COVID beast for good."
Statewide, a total of 1,850,050 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of more than 44.7 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 40,451 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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