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The state Department of Health was reporting 1,301 new COVID-19 cases in Suffolk, with another 1,251 in Nassau, bringing the total on Long Island to 2,552 newly infected parties. A total of 140,113 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Suffolk since the pandemic began last year, while 125,370 have been reported in Nassau.
In the past four days, Long Island has seen the average seven-day positive infection rate drop from 6.92 percent on Sunday, Jan. 24, to 6.90 percent the following day 6.83 percent on Wednesday, and then down to 6.70 percent, still the highest rate in the state.
Forty-two COVID-19 patients being treated in Long Island hospitals were discharged, leaving 1,511 - second-most in the state - still hospitalized, representing 0.05 percent of the population. As of Thursday, Jan. 28, 29 percent of hospital beds on Long Island were still available in case of a new spike in cases.
The Department of Health was also reporting 684 (down four) of Long Island's 859 ICU beds are full, though the number of patients intubated has held relatively steady.
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, Cuomo has vowed to shut down the entire region.
Seventeen new COVID-19 fatalities were reported in Suffolk, as the total rose to 2,741. Seven new virus-related deaths were confirmed in Nassau as the death toll hit 2,645.
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 Jan. 28:
- Levittown: 3,064;
- Freeport: 2,517;
- Hempstead: 2,462;
- Hicksville: 2,461;
- East Meadow: 2,319;
- Valley Stream: 2,168;
- Long Beach: 1,952;
- Oceanside: 1,892;
- Franklin Square: 1,863;
- Elmont: 1,841;
- Glen Cove: 1,697;
- Uniondale: 1,608;
- Massapequa: 1,439;
- Rockville Centre: 1,369;
- Woodmere: 1,211;
- Baldwin: 1,204;
- Plainview: 1,171;
- Wantagh: 1,159;
- West Hempstead: 1,161
- North Massapequa: 1,143;
- North Bellmore: 1,139;
- Lynbrook: 1,133.
The breakdown of cases reported in Suffolk County, according to the Department of Health:
- Brookhaven: 38,884;
- Islip: 35,043;
- Babylon: 19,375;
- Huntington: 15,450;
- Smithtown: 9,828;
- Southampton: 4,124;
- Riverhead: 2,617;
- East Hampton: 1,269;
- Southold: 1,260;
- Shelter Island: 39.
"New York State is once again making our way down the mountain after experiencing a holiday surge," Cuomo said. "Our infection and hospitalization rates are steadily declining thanks to the actions of New Yorkers, but there is still more work to be done."
There were 250,668 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on Jan. 27, according to Cuomo, resulting in 13,398 new cases for a 5.34 percent positive infection rate, down from more than six percent earlier in the week.
Two hundred and fifty-one COVID-19 patients were discharged from New York hospitals, leaving 8,520 still being treated statewide. There are 1,584 patients in ICU and 1,024 are currently intubated. There were 162 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
"While more vaccines are on the way from the Biden administration, we must continue actively working to protect our hospitals and their staff to help ensure they do not become overwhelmed," Cuomo added. "We are all feeling COVID fatigue, but New Yorkers have the tools to fight the war - wear a mask, social distance, and avoid gatherings."
Statewide, a total of 1,374,480 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of 31.37 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 34,742 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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