NEW YORK — Over 85,000 people tested positive for the coronavirus statewide on the last day of 2021, a more than 10 percent rise from the day before, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday.
Hochul reported in a release that the positive COVID-19 test results reached 85,476 on Friday, along with 88 more deaths. Kings County had 15 of those deaths. There were three deaths in Erie County.
The continued escalation in positive test results raised the rate of positive tests to 22.2 percent and the seven-day average to nearly 20 percent, the state said.
The state also reported that the total number of deaths in the state since the pandemic began had risen to 61,242. The number of patients hospitalized rose to 8,451 on Friday, an increase of 532 from the day before.
The deaths continue to occur even though the state reports that 89.2 percent of New Yorkers who are 18 and over have received at least one vaccine shot.
Hochul urged anyone who has not gotten a second or third vaccine shot to do so as soon as possible.
The Western New York region's seven-day average of cases per population of 100,000 on Friday was 139.32, the fourth-highest number of New York regions. The highest numbers were posted in New York City (419.08), Long Island (348.88), and Mid-Hudson (260.99).
The Western New York region includes Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties.
The Finger Lakes region -- which includes Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming counties -- had a seven-day average of 104.13 on Friday.