ALBANY, N.Y. — There were 187 new COVID cases in Erie County on Friday, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.
That number, reported Saturday afternoon, was fifth-highest among New York State counties and regions, trailing New York City (2,084), as well as Suffolk (472), Nassau (451), and Westchester (230) counties. Monroe County reported 175 new cases.
Statewide, there were 298 newly admitted COVID patients at hospitals and 18 more deaths.
The Erie County Health Department said Saturday the county had surpassed the CDC's "high risk" threshold - the highest level for COVID-19 transmission. Erie County's 7-day average for new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people was 101 Friday, one above the threshold. Erie County has reported 962 total new cases over the past week.
Genesee County joined the "high risk" category on Friday.
The Western New York region's seven-day average for positive COVID-19 tests was 3.36 percent on Friday. That number was 3.27 percent on Thursday and 3.28 percent on Wednesday. The region's COVID-19 Working Group said in a statement Saturday, that 95 percent of the recent COVID-19 deaths in Erie County were people who were not fully vaccinated.
The Western New York region includes Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties.
In the Finger Lakes region -- which includes Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming counties -- the seven-day average on Friday was 4 percent. That number was 3.96 percent on Thursday and 4.07 percent on Wednesday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 65.9 percent of all New Yorkers have had at least one COVID vaccine dose, while 58.9 percent of all New Yorkers have completed their vaccine series.
"The Delta variant continues to be a very serious threat, and we know what COVID is capable of if we were to let it outmaneuver us," Governor Cuomo said in a statement. "We simply cannot afford to risk all the progress we've made against this virus.
"Our frontline workers and everyday New Yorkers made great sacrifices to get us where we are today, and the best way to honor that is to get vaccinated. If you still need to get your shot, I urge you to do so quickly at one of our many sites across the state."