According to the Department of Health, the average seven-day positive COVID-19 infection rate in the Hudson Valley dropped to 1.72 percent on Tuesday, July 27, down slightly from 1.74 percent the previous day.
The numbers been below 1 percent for most of the spring and early summer until the recent surge in cases.
Statewide, the positive infection rate jumped from 1.97 percent on Monday, July 26 to 2.04 percent on July 27.
The new virus-related death in Westchester brought the total in the Hudson Valley to 4,651 since the pandemic began in March last year.
Other deaths were reported in New York City, Oneida, Richmond, Schenectady, and Suffolk counties.
Infection rates in the state’s 10 regions on July 27, according to the state Department of Health:
- Capital Region: 2.86 percent;
- Long Island: 2.42 percent;
- Western New York: 2.40 percent;
- Finger Lakes: 2.15 percent;
- New York City: 1.99 percent;
- Central New York: 1.84 percent;
- North Country: 1.73 percent;
- Hudson Valley: 1.72 percent;
- Southern Tier: 1.41 percent;
- Mohawk Valley: 1.24 percent.
Each of the 10 regions has seen a marked spike in infection rates in the past three weeks.
At the beginning of July, no single region had an infection rate above 1 percent.
New COVID-19 cases in the Hudson Valley, according to the Department of Health on July 27, by county:
- Westchester: 82 new (131,050 since the pandemic began);
- Rockland: 23 (47,409);
- Orange County: 45 (48,890);
- Dutchess: 20 (29,791);
- Ulster: 10 (14,084);
- Putnam: 7 (10,712);
- Sullivan: 8 (6,752).
A breakdown of COVID-19 deaths in the Hudson Valley as of Tuesday, July 27:
- Westchester: 2,296;
- Rockland: 758;
- Orange County: 724;
- Dutchess: 447;
- Ulster: 258;
- Putnam: 93;
- Sullivan: 76.
There were 98,944 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on July 27, according to the Department of Health, resulting in 2,203 newly confirmed infections for a 2.23 percent daily positive infection down slightly from the day before.
One hundred and eleven new COVID-19 patients were admitted to New York hospitals with the virus as the number rose to 591 being treated statewide, up approximately 100 from a week ago.
A total of 74.8 percent of New Yorkers over the age of 18 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 68.2 percent are fully vaccinated. Officials said that 62.6 percent of all New Yorkers have received at least one dose, with 56.7 percent completing the vaccination process.
As of July 27, 1,278,285 (3,137 new) first doses have been administered to Hudson Valley residents, while 1,157,523 (2,202 new) have completed the process, both among the highest rates in the state.
"There's no doubt that the Delta variant is real - you can see it in the numbers - but we have been through this before and we know how to keep it under control," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "The vaccine is the weapon that will win the war against COVID, and to get our vaccination rates up even more and protect New Yorkers from the Delta variant we are now requiring all patient-facing health care workers in state hospitals to get vaccinated by Labor Day.
"All state workers will also be required to get vaccinated, and those who do not will be required to be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. It's smart, it's fair, it's in everyone's interest and it will put us one step closer to defeating this beast once and for all."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Hyde Park and receive free news updates.