Nassau Virus Positivity Rates Hit Summertime Lows: Curran

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — The county's coronavirus positivity rate has dropped to lows last seen in the summer, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said, showing that the vaccine effort is working. However, the county is still recording hundreds of new cases every day.

So far this month, Nassau County recorded more than 9,000 new coronavirus cases and 61 deaths. Despite the vaccine rollout, the county is averaging 535 new cases every day.

But things are looking up. While high, those numbers are still lower than the winter months — January's average was nearly 1,300 cases every day. And it's much better than over the same time last year. In the first half of April 2020, when the pandemic was just beginning, Nassau County record 19,995 new cases and 1,046 deaths.

"With a 2.5 percent positive case rate, Nassau has dipped down to levels not seen since the summer, while hospitalizations have reached their lowest level since Dec. 6," Curran said. "This is not only great news, but proof positive evidence that the county’s vaccination efforts are paying off as more residents continue to line up everyday for their shot."

However, the numbers are still a far cry from the summer, when cases and deaths hit all-time lows. In July and August, there were a combined 2,908 new cases and only 15 deaths.

According to the county, more than half of eligible adults have now received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

The recent pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is just a single dose, has also caused a delay in the county's plan to vaccinate home-bound residents. But there are still multiple sites around the area where people can get vaccinated. There are county-run vaccination sites at Nassau Community College, Nassau Coliseum and the YES We Can Community Center in Westbury. There are also state-run sites at Jones Beach and SUNY Old Westbury. There have also been pop-up facilities run by the county, and the Town of Hempstead partnered with Mount Sinai South Nassau to launch the state's first mobile vaccination unit. Pharmacies in the area have also been administering vaccinations.