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A total of 1,056 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Hudson Valley, according to the latest data from health officials, as the seven-day average infection rate dropped from 4.25 percent over the weekend to 4.12 percent on Wednesday, March 3.
Statewide, the average seven-day positive infection rate dipped slightly from 3.18 percent over the weekend to 3.12 percent, the lowest since late November.
As of Thursday, March 4, there were 546 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the Hudson Valley, representing 0.02 percent of the region's population and leaving 44 percent of the region's hospital beds still available.
The state was also reporting 401 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: 415 new (109,038 total);
- Rockland: 194 (39,149);
- Orange County: 190 (37,631);
- Dutchess: 129 (22,678);
- Ulster County: 60 (10,206);
- Putnam: 42 (8,460);
- Sullivan: 26 (4,822);
- Total: 1,056 (231,984).
New deaths were also reported in:
- Westchester: 7 (2,116 total);
- Orange: 2 (645);
- Dutchess: 2 (410);
- Ulster: 1 (229);
- Rockland: 0 (689);
- Putnam: 0 (86);
- Sullivan: 0 (60).
- Total: 11 (4,235).
There were 270,089 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on March 3, according to Cuomo, resulting in 7,593 new cases for a 2.81 percent positive infection rate, the lowest since Nov. 21.
One hundred and forty-six COVID-19 patients were released from New York hospitals, leaving 5,177 still being treated statewide. There are 1,043 in ICU and 712 intubated. The number of patients hospitalized is the lowest since Dec. 9, marking a 44 percent decline since its mid-January peak.
There were 60 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
Cuomo made note that 96 percent of the first COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated to New York have been administered as of 11 a.m. on March 4.
A total of 3,375,540 first doses have been received, with 3,231,841 administered. New York has received 5,515,260 first and second doses, with 4,959,235 administered.
New Yorkers have embodied the definition of New York Tough through this past year and we need to maintain our vigilance to win this war on COVID," Cuomo said. "As we continue this battle, we cannot get complacent. There are precautions and guidelines in place that we know work - wearing masks, socially distancing, hand washing, and, when eligible, getting vaccinated.
"As we continue to vaccinate New Yorkers, we must continue these practices until we reach critical mass. The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight, and every day we are closer to reaching the end of this journey together."
Statewide, a total of 1,657,777 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of nearly 39 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 38,796 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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