21 Dec Gov: Hospital capacity still a major concern
COVID-19 DATA FROM 12/21:
Statewide Positivity Rate – 5.8%
Statewide Positivity Rate, Excluding Focus Zones – 5.5%
Positivity Rate Within Focus Zones – 6.8%
Current Hospitalizations – 6,661 (+330)
Patients Currently in ICU – 1,126 (+31)
Patients Currently Intubated – 614 (+1)
Deaths – 139
Total NY Pandemic Deaths – 28,850
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COVID-19 DATA FROM 12/21:
Statewide Positivity Rate – 5.8%
Statewide Positivity Rate, Excluding Focus Zones – 5.5%
Positivity Rate Within Focus Zones – 6.8%
Current Hospitalizations – 6,661 (+330)
Patients Currently in ICU – 1,126 (+31)
Patients Currently Intubated – 614 (+1)
Deaths – 139
Total NY Pandemic Deaths – 28,850
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REGIONAL POSITIVITY RATES:
Capital Region – 6.9%
Central New York – 6.5%
Finger Lakes – 8.3%
Long Island – 6.5%
Mid-Hudson – 6.2%
Mohawk Valley – 8.5%
New York City – 4.3%
North Country – 5.2%
Southern Tier – 2.4%
Western New York – 6.4%
HOSPITAL CAPACITY: Governor Cuomo stressed that managing hospital capacity is still a major concern for New York. A hospital must alert New York State if it is within 21 days from 85% capacity to give the State three weeks to assess the situation. No hospital in the State has given a capacity notice as of today.
HOLIDAY SPREAD: With the holidays approaching, infection rates are likely to increase. The Governor urged celebrating safely over the coming weeks. He stressed that it has been a long year and the safer New Yorkers act, the greater the chances are that the State will avoid a shutdown.
UNITED KINGDOM COVID-19 VARIANT: The COVID-19 variant that has emerged from the United Kingdom (U.K.) is a serious issue. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had to shut down the country only one week after claiming it would not be necessary. The U.K. variant is reportedly 70 times more transmittable than the common strand. Governor Cuomo urged the Federal Government to follow his lead and mandate testing of those who enter the U.S. from the United Kingdom. Dr. Fauci recently said he doesn’t believe that a travel ban is necessary, but the country should require testing before travelers enter. Dr. Fauci also believes the U.K. variant could be in the country now, but there is currently no evidence it is present here.
· The State has now engaged hospital systems to begin testing for the variant immediately, with the Department of Health working with those hospitals with higher lab capacity. Currently, the State has performed 4,000 tests and has found no evidence that the variant is here. In response to a question from a reporter, Governor Cuomo noted that testing for the variant on top of testing for COVID-19 will not slow the State down or cause a delay in results.
VACCINE: As of today, 50,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered. The State has received 630,000 doses, and expects an additional 300,000 doses next week. In two weeks, the State expects residents and staff at 618 nursing homes to be vaccinated. The Governor once again stressed that vaccine distribution is not political; it is run by hospital systems. Governor Cuomo has asked healthcare workers administering vaccines to continue to work over the holidays.
BUFFALO BILLS: The Governor indicated that the State is working with the Buffalo Bills to allow fans to safely enter the stadium. Protocols that other teams around the nation have implemented are currently being researched. The Department of Health is looking at an experimental model to work with data and testing to make viewing the game in-person as safe as possible. The Governor noted how much the State has invested in renovations to the stadium.