Gov. Cuomo: NYS has third lowest infection rate in country

ALBANY, N.Y. (WROC) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo provided an update on the coronavirus numbers across New York State on Friday.

Of the 146,885 tests reported on Thursday, 2,255 were positive — 1.53%. That percentage includes the oversampling of the micro-cluster zones.

The state positivity rate without over sampling of the micro cluster zones is 1.38%

“The state’s seven day average with micro-cluster zone is 1.4% That’s the third lowest in the nation only Maine and Vermont are listed as having a lower rate,” Cuomo said in a conference call.

The governor gave the following update on data from Thursday:

• 12 New Yorkers died
• 1,085 hospitalized
• 243 in intensive care units
• 116 intubated

Cuomo also announced an agreement on testing protocol that will allow schools in red and orange micro-cluster zones to reopen. Every student and staff will be tested before going back to school and then there will be weekly surveillance testing. The state will provide free rapid-result test kits for schools wishing to participate.

“It will also give an idea about homes and households in that area. If a child tests positive, then we can contact trace back to the family,” Cuomo said.

The governor also criticized the White House Coronavirus Task Force vaccine plan, which he said would distribute the vaccine through private pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens.

“They do not provide for a state to organize vaccination with state personnel on any scale. So you have a limited distribution network. That same network they’re talking about is the network we currently use to do the COVID testing.

You now have the same network doing COVID testing and asking them also to do vaccinations on top of it. You’d have to sacrifice one or the other, either the number of COVID tests you’re taking or the number of vaccinations you can perform.”

The governor said he believes with the White House’s plan, it could take one year to vaccinate the country.

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