Coronavirus hospitalizations in New York state, once the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., have dropped to 743, its lowest level since mid-March.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
“New Yorkers’ vigilance, courage and adoption of basic behaviors — mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing — has driven our ability to control the virus, and we have to continue on that path to success,” Cuomo said.
The situation in New York stands in stark contrast with other states, mostly across the south and west, that have seen alarming spikes in cases in recent weeks after aggressive reopening plans took hold.
Texas saw 10,000 new cases for several consecutive days this week, while Florida tallied more than 10,000 new daily cases for the 10th time Friday.
“As New York continues to show progress combatting COVID-19 with low hospitalizations and a low rate of positive cases, we remain alarmed by spikes in much of the country and the risk of a lack of compliance at home as the state pursues a phased, data-driven reopening,” Cuomo said.
One hundred people remain intubated in hospitals and 172 are being treated in ICUs in the Empire State, according to data posted by the state’s department of health. Cuomo said that out of 69,817 COVID-19 tests conducted Friday, 754 came back positive for a rate of 1.08 percent.