NYS reports most COVID-19 hospitalizations since mid-July along with a record number of test results

ALBANY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Governor Andrew Cuomo Thursday said New York State continues to lead the way in COVID-19 testing, with more than 145,000 test results being reported to the state Wednesday. The statewide infection rate remains low, but COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the rise.

Of the record amount of tests results reported Wednesday, only about 1.01% came back positive. This 1.01 COVID-19 positive rate does not include the hot spots in New York, which Governor Cuomo says make up about six percent of the population. 

In the hot spots, which are primarily Downstate, the positive rate from Wednesday’s tests was about 5.8%. For the state, including the hot spots, the COVID-19 positive rate was 1.26%.

Statewide, the number of hospitalizations slightly increased Wednesday, with 754 New Yorkers now being hospitalized with COVID-19. 

According to the New York State Health Department, from August 20 until September 22, the number of hospitalizations in New York State was consistently below 500. However, during the last 15 days, the number of New Yorkers hospitalized with coronavirus has risen by about 250.

754 COVID-19 hospitalizations is the most the state has seen since July 16.

Complete data provided by the New York State Health Department on Thursday:

• Patient Hospitalization – 754 (+6)
• Patients Newly Admitted – 106
• Hospital Counties – 37
• Number ICU – 172 (-4)
• Number ICU with Intubation – 67 (-5)
• Total Discharges – 77,351 (+84)
• Deaths – 10
• Total Deaths – 25,555

COVID-19 positive rates for all ten regions over the past three days:

REGION	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY
Capital Region	1.0%	0.9%	0.5%
Central New York	1.8%	0.9%	1.0%
Finger Lakes	0.8%	0.5%	1.3%
Long Island	1.1%	1.2%	1.0%
Mid-Hudson	2.5%	2.0%	2.2%
Mohawk Valley	0.6%	0.4%	0.5%
New York City	1.4%	1.5%	1.2%
North Country	0.3%	0.1%	0.7%
Southern Tier	1.8%	1.4%	1.3%
Western New York	1.6%	0.9%	1.4%

Since the pandemic began, there have been 470,104 people who have contracted COVID-19.

Breakdown of cases by county:

County	Total Positive	New Positive
Albany	3,251	18
Allegany	131	1
Broome	2,239	108
Cattaraugus	327	11
Cayuga	237	3
Chautauqua	656	15
Chemung	855	39
Chenango	267	2
Clinton	177	4
Columbia	611	0
Cortland	260	20
Delaware	144	1
Dutchess	5,222	8
Erie	11,953	55
Essex	176	2
Franklin	71	1
Fulton	351	1
Genesee	355	3
Greene	372	6
Hamilton	15	0
Herkimer	355	2
Jefferson	177	1
Lewis	54	1
Livingston	216	3
Madison	505	0
Monroe	6,316	50
Montgomery	242	1
Nassau	47,656	140
Niagara	1,855	13
NYC	248,696	696
Oneida	2,503	13
Onondaga	4,669	33
Ontario	505	3
Orange	12,664	101
Orleans	342	2
Oswego	536	5
Otsego	354	1
Putnam	1,669	8
Rensselaer	958	1
Rockland	16,454	198
Saratoga	1,122	11
Schenectady	1,438	6
Schoharie	88	1
Schuyler	62	3
Seneca	114	2
St. Lawrence	339	2
Steuben	608	23
Suffolk	47,196	107
Sullivan	1,633	4
Tioga	304	13
Tompkins	465	7
Ulster	2,343	8
Warren	427	2
Washington	314	3
Wayne	347	8
Westchester	38,694	66
Wyoming	147	0
Yates	67	0

At his conference call Thursday, Governor Cuomo continued to ask local governments to enforce the law in regards to COVID-19. The governor reiterated that COVID-19 is a public health emergency and the law must be enforced.

For more local data regarding COVID-19, click here.

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