Coronavirus Trends Are 'Clear And Concerning': Nassau County Exec

MASSAPEQUA, NY – Nassau County’s coronavirus positivity rate of 4.1 percent may be slightly below that of the rising state average, but county officials continue to be concerned with the trends they are seeing, especially in terms of the number of people being hospitalized while fighting COVID-19..

County Executive Laura Curran announced Monday that there are 237 Nassau County residents hospitalized with the virus, including 36 that are currently in intensive care. While the county’s rate is below the New York State positivity rate of 4.6 percent, Curran characterized the current COVID-19 trajectory “clear and concerning”.

“As hospitalizations continue to rise, Nassau County is working with the state and with our local hospitals to ensure that emergency hospital procedures are in place,” Curran said in a news release issued Monday. “In the meantime, we all knows what works to control the virus. By continuing to use common sense, we can save lives, keep kids in school and ensure businesses remain open this winter.”

Curran’s concerns come at a time when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state is entering a “new phase in the war against COVID.” Cuomo announced Monday that state officials will begin to initiate new emergency hospital procedures and improved testing procedures as health officials await the arrival of a vaccine.

Cuomo announced that there are more than 3,500 New York residents hospitalized because of the coronavirus, which is up by more than 1,500 since the end of October. As Patch reported Monday, the state will add metrics to its criteria for determining whether a community should enter a yellow, orange or red zone. This includes rates of hospitalizations, death, cases, as well as available hospital staff, beds and intensive care units. Health officials are waiting for what Cuomo called a "post-Thanksgiving effect" to set those numbers, believing the rates will drastically change in the next week.

"Hospital capacity is the top concern in the new battlefield," Cuomo said Monday. "It's about hospital beds, ICU and having enough staff and equipment."