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In Nassau, 687 new infections were confirmed, bringing the total in the county to 150,538 since the pandemic began last year. Suffolk reported 654 new cases, as the total hit 164,539.
The average seven-day positive infection rate of those tested for COVID was unchanged at 4.18 percent on Wednesday, March 3, keeping it the highest in the state ahead of the mid-Hudson Valley (4.12 percent) and New York City (3.98 percent). No other region is above 2.75 percent.
As of Thursday, March 4, there were 885 COVID-19 patients - down from 944 late last week - 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 659 of Long Island's 865 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.
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 4:
- Levittown: 4,020;
- Hicksville: 3,262;
- Freeport: 3,219;
- Hempstead: 3,219;
- East Meadow: 2,965;
- Valley Stream: 2,874;
- Oceanside: 2,466;
- Elmont: 2,465;
- Long Beach: 2,432;
- Franklin Square: 2,382;
- Glen Cove: 2,276;
- Uniondale: 2,119;
- Massapequa: 1,794;
- Rockville Centre: 1,762;
- Baldwin: 1,614;
- Woodmere: 1,580;
- Plainview: 1,535;
- West Hempstead: 1,508
- North Bellmore: 1,495;
- Wantagh: 1,485;
- North Massapequa: 1,465;
- Lynbrook: 1,431;
- Mineola: 1,419;
- Merrick: 1,415;
- Massapequa Park: 1,382;
- Garden City: 1,381;
- East Massapequa: 1,381;
- Seaford: 1,364;
- Bethpage: 1,291.
The breakdown of cases reported in Suffolk County, according to the Department of Health:
- Brookhaven: 45,870;
- Islip: 40,533;
- Babylon: 22,760;
- Huntington: 18,508;
- Smithtown: 11,438;
- Southampton: 4,831;
- Riverhead: 3,057;
- Southold: 1,462;
- East Hampton: 1,443;
- Shelter Island: 45.
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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