In the Hudson Valley, the positive infection rate dipped from 7.13 percent on Monday, Jan. 18 to 7.0 percent the following day, down to 6.98 percent on Wednesday, Jan. 20, and 6.91 percent on Thursday, Jan. 21.
The statewide average is down to 6.15 percent after beginning at 6.34 percent during that time span.
Hospitalizations are up slightly, to 1,071 in the Hudson Valley, after hitting 1,061 earlier this week. The number represents 0.05 percent of the region's population and approximately 40 percent of hospital beds are still available, among the highest percentage of the state's 10 regions.
As of Friday, Jan. 22, there are 440 COVID-19 patients in ICU, filling approximately 65 percent of the region's designated beds, while the number of intubations continues to rise.
A breakdown of new cases in each of the Hudson Valley's seven counties is as follows:
- Westchester: 924 new (87,570 total);
- Orange: 247 (29,753);
- Rockland: 253 (32,660);
- Dutchess: 242 (17,424);
- Ulster: 116 (8,017);
- Putnam: 78 (6,748);
- Sullivan: 31 (3,954).
- Hudson Valley: 1,891 (186,126).
New deaths were also reported in:
- Westchester: 8 (1,832 total);
- Rockland: 2 (631);
- Dutchess: 6 (330);
- Orange: 1 (575);
- Ulster: 0 (199);
- Putnam: 0 (75);
- Sullivan: 0 (49).
"We are in a war with COVID and as I've said time and again, winning this war will mean winning the footrace between how fast the infection rate goes up and how fast we can vaccinate New Yorkers," Cuomo said. "Positivity and hospitalizations are both down, which is good news, but it in no way means we're out of the woods."
There were 268,001 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on Jan. 21, according to Cuomo, resulting in 15,144 positive cases for a 5.65 percent positive infection rate, down from 6.18 percent the previous day.
There are now 8,846 COVID-19 patients hospitalized across the state, while more than 1,560 are in ICU, and 1,000 are intubated with the virus. There were 165 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
Statewide, there have been 1,285,337 confirmed COVID-19 cases in New York out of 29.76 tested. There have been 33,594 virus-related deaths reported since the pandemic began.
"What's concerning now is the emergence of three new frightening strains of the virus which could send those numbers back in the other direction," Cuomo added. "As we have done throughout this crisis, we will continue to monitor these strains closely, follow the science, and continue our work to vaccinate New Yorkers as quickly and fairly as possible."
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