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According to the Department of Health, there were eight new COVID-19 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 3,170 since the pandemic began, while five new deaths brought the total in Nassau to 2,992.
In Suffolk, 652 new infections were confirmed, bringing the total in the county to 171,950 since the pandemic began last year. Nassau reported 623 new cases, as the total hit 157,985.
The average seven-day infection rate on Long Island continues to rise, from 4.35 percent on Friday, March 12, to 4.53 percent on Monday, March 15, the second-highest in the state, better only than the Hudson Valley (453).
Statewide, the average seven-day positive infection rate also rose from the weekend, from 3.16 percent to 3.24 percent.
As of Tuesday, March 16, there were 834 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on Long Island, representing 0.03 percent of the region's population and leaving 34 percent of hospital beds still available.
The state was also reporting 635 of Long Island's 850 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, leaving 22 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, though the numbers are trending in the right direction.
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 16:
- Levittown: 4,393;
- Hicksville: 3,591;
- Hempstead: 3,488;
- Freeport: 3,465;
- East Meadow: 3,199;
- Valley Stream: 3,123;
- Elmont: 2,689;
- Oceanside: 2,688;
- Long Beach: 2,664;
- Franklin Square: 2,610;
- Glen Cove: 2,460;
- Uniondale: 2,280;
- Massapequa: 1,950;
- Rockville Centre: 1,893;
- Baldwin: 1,761;
- Woodmere: 1,719;
- North Bellmore: 1,656;
- Wantagh: 1,656;
- Plainview: 1,653;
- West Hempstead: 1,623
- North Massapequa: 1,608;
- Lynbrook: 1,563;
- Mineola: 1,560;
- Merrick: 1,543;
- Massapequa Park: 1,491;
- Seaford: 1,466;
- East Massapequa: 1,451;
- Garden City: 1,447;
- Bethpage: 1,411.
The breakdown of cases reported in Suffolk County, according to the Department of Health:
- Brookhaven: 48,100;
- Islip: 42,253;
- Babylon: 23,852;
- Huntington: 19,482;
- Smithtown: 11,982;
- Southampton: 5,049;
- Riverhead: 3,196;
- Southold: 1,507;
- East Hampton: 1,476;
- Shelter Island: 48.
There were 157,096 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on March 15 according to Cuomo, resulting in 4,657 new cases for a 4.14 percent positive infection rate, down from the previous day.
One hundred and forty new COVID-19 patients were admitted to New York hospitals, bringing the total to 4,657 still being treated statewide. There are 943 in ICU and 609 intubated.
There were 51 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
"The pandemic has consumed New Yorkers' lives for the past year, but we have the weapon that will win the war and we're distributing it across the state," Cuomo said. "New York's ever-expanding vaccine network can handle more supply than the state receives, so we're ready to get even more shots in arms when the time comes.
"In the meantime, it's critical that residents continue to wash their hands, wear masks and stay socially distanced," he added. "We will get to the light at the end of the tunnel—we just have to remember that the infection rate is a function of what we do and to stay strong together."
Statewide, a total of 1,740,721 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of more than 41.4 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 39,636 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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