50°
According to the state Department of Health, there were 784 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Nassau, as the total rose to 158,769, while there were 720 cases reported in Suffolk for a total of 172,670 since the pandemic began more than a year ago.
Both Suffolk and Nassau reported six new virus-related fatalities as the death toll rose to 3,176 and 2,998, respectively.
After rising for four straight days, the overall seven-day average positivity rate dipped from 4.53 percent to 4.50 percent on Tuesday, March 16.
Statewide, the average seven-day positive infection rate also rose from 3.24 percent to 3.28 percent.
As of Wednesday, March 17, there were 826 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.
The state was also reporting 662 of Long Island's 850 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, leaving 23 percent available in case of another surge of the virus.
If Long Island - 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, though the numbers are trending in the right direction.
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 17:
- Levittown: 4,504;
- Hicksville: 3,677;
- Hempstead: 3,558;
- Freeport: 3,465;
- East Meadow: 3,264;
- Valley Stream: 3,186;
- Elmont: 2,769;
- Oceanside: 2,744;
- Long Beach: 2,717;
- Franklin Square: 2,673;
- Glen Cove: 2,509;
- Uniondale: 2,331;
- Massapequa: 1,986;
- Rockville Centre: 1,933;
- Baldwin: 1,806;
- Woodmere: 1,754;
- North Bellmore: 1,697;
- Plainview: 1,690;
- Wantagh: 1,687;
- West Hempstead: 1,658
- North Massapequa: 1,657;
- Mineola: 1,596;
- Lynbrook: 1,589;
- Merrick: 1,566;
- Garden City: 1,541;
- East Massapequa: 1,530;
- Massapequa Park: 1,519;
- Seaford: 1,497;
- Bethpage: 1,449.
The breakdown of cases reported in Suffolk County, according to the Department of Health:
- Brookhaven: 48,514;
- Islip: 42,600;
- Babylon: 24,078;
- Huntington: 19,671;
- Smithtown: 12,111;
- Southampton: 5,087;
- Riverhead: 3,224;
- Southold: 1,514;
- East Hampton: 1,487;
- Shelter Island: 49.
There were 263,401 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on March 16 according to Cuomo, resulting in 8,976 new cases for a 3.41 percent positive infection rate, down from the previous day.
Thirty-three more COVID-19 patients were discharged from New York hospitals, bringing the total to 4,624 still being treated statewide. There are 954 in ICU and 601 intubated.
There were 54 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
Statewide, a total of 1,749,697 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of more than 41.74 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 39,690 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Brentwood and receive free news updates.
