BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Western New York region continues to see an increase in its percent positive rate.
However, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the region decreased Saturday, according to the latest data from New York State.
The Western New York region once again had the highest percent positive rate in New York State on Saturday at 4.89 percent. That number is up from 4.82 percent from the day prior. Long Island has the second-highest rate in New York, reporting 3.93 percent on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Western New York decreased slightly.
As of Saturday, 298 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Western New York, down three from the day before. According to the state, the number of people hospitalized in the region equates to .02 percent of the region's population.
At this time, 38 percent of hospital beds would be available in the region within seven days under a "surge plan."
Statewide, 226,048 total tests were reported to New York State on Saturday. Of those tests, 6,764 came back positive for a percent positive rate of 2.99 percent. Currently, the statewide seven-day average percent positive rate is slightly higher at 3.27 percent.
The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations across New York State decreased Saturday to 4,083. This is the lowest number of statewide hospitalizations since December 2. Of those hospitalized, 877 were in the ICU, and 577 of which required intubation.
The state reports that 53 New Yorkers died from the virus on Saturday, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in New York State to 41,139.
"New York is moving forward fighting the COVID-19 pandemic as we expand eligibility for the vaccine and open pop-up sites to serve the communities hardest hit by the virus across the state. The pandemic isn't over, and New Yorkers need to continue practicing safe behaviors and following the public health guidance as we work toward a brighter future," Governor Cuomo said.
"We know that washing hands, wearing masks and staying socially distanced make all the difference in our ability to slow the spread, and residents should keep those behaviors front and center. I know this has been a long year and that COVID fatigue has set in, but with patience and commitment we can make progress and defeat this beast once and for all."
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