BUFFALO, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office provided an update Sunday regarding the state's continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the statewide COVID-19 positivity rate and the number of people hospitalized with the virus continues to improve, the state says it has identified its first case of the South African COVID-19 variant.
According to the governor's office, a resident from Nassau County was diagnosed with the strain of the virus. The sequencing was conducted at New York City based commercial lab and the South African variant was verified at the Wadsworth Center in Albany.
"We continue to see a reduction in positivity and hospitalizations throughout the state, which is good news, and this progress is allowing us to reopen the valve on our economy even further," Governor Cuomo said.
"But with the discovery of a case of the South African variant in the state, it's more important than ever for New Yorkers to stay vigilant, wear masks, wash hands and stay socially distanced. We are in a race right now — between our ability to vaccinate and these variants which are actively trying to proliferate — and we will only win that race if we stay smart and disciplined."
According to the latest data from the New York State Department of Health, released on Sunday, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Western New York region continues to decrease, along with the region's percent positive rate.
As of Saturday, 252 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Western New York, a decrease of six from the day prior. This equates to .02 percent of the region's population. New York State reports that 38 percent of hospital beds would be available in the region within seven days under a "surge plan."
The region's percent positive rate also decreased Saturday, falling from 3.01 percent on Thursday to 2.87 percent on Friday and landing at 2.28 percent on Saturday.