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According to the state Department of Health, there were 632 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Nassau, as the total rose to 159,401, while there were 651 cases reported in Suffolk for a total of 173,321 since the pandemic began more than a year ago.
Nine new COVID-19 fatalities in Suffolk brought the death toll to 3,185, while two new deaths in Nassau brought the total to an even 3,000.
The COVID-19 average seven-day positive infection rate on Long Island has dropped from 4.53 percent on Monday, March 15 to 4.50 the following day to 4.49 percent on Wednesday, March 17.
Statewide, the average seven-day positive infection held steady at 3.28 percent for the second straight day.
As of Thursday, March 18, there were 812 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 653 of Long Island's 852 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, leaving 23 percent available in case of another surge of the virus.
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 271,463 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on March 1 7 according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, resulting in 7,796 new cases for a 2.87 percent positive infection rate, down from the previous day.
Eighty-eight more COVID-19 patients were discharged from New York hospitals, leaving 4,536 still being treated statewide. There are 934 in ICU and 590 intubated.
There were 57 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
"Every day more and more New Yorkers are getting vaccinated, bringing us that much closer to the light at the end of the tunnel," Cuomo said. "As we ramp up vaccine distribution and more New Yorkers become eligible, we are able to start getting our economy back on track and adjust to life in a post-pandemic world.
"We are headed in the right direction, but it is still crucial that we continue to practice the guidelines that stop the spread of COVID: wear a mask, social distance and wash your hands," the governor continued. "This war can and will be won, but we must collectively work together to see that day."
Statewide, a total of 1,757,493 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of more than 42 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 39,748 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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