LI Tops NY In Coronavirus Positivity Rate; Reopenings Coming Soon

LONG ISLAND, NY — As the coronavirus positivity rate in New York continues to trend downward to 5.47 percent after a holiday spike, Long Island now has the highest positivity statewide at 6.92 percent, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

Long Island also has the highest percentage of patients hospitalized, at 0.06 percent, he added.

When asked why Long Island has experienced an upward trend, Cuomo said all indicators point to personal behavior. "We’re not getting large clusters, this concert, this party, this wedding. It’s just personal behavior and awareness," he said.

To that end, Cuomo said he is having conversations with large hospitals and elected officials islandwide. "We want a targeted strategy for Long Island," he said.

The uptick hasn't just been witnessed over a single week, he said. "The lines don't bend quickly anymore," he said. "They tend to follow the trajectory."

Cuomo said he did not have a single good answer as to why the numbers have continued to climb on Long Island but added that information would be forthcoming.

Cuomo outlined the three tracks the state is pursuing, including controlling the spread of COVID-19, vaccinating New Yorkers, and reopening the economy.

As the state positivity rate has continued to trend downward, a rate of transmission of below 1.0, and projection models indicating a continued decline, Cuomo said on Wednesday he expects to make announcements about reopenings and reductions in restrictions in certain parts of the economy; specifically, in the orange and yellow microcluster zones, he said.

Indoor dining in New York City is a separate issue, he said.

High-risk school sports to reopen

On Friday, Cuomo mentioned the reopening of high-risk school sports on Feb. 1, giving local municipalities the right to decide; Suffolk County Bellone discussed resuming those sports during a Monday press briefing.

Still, he warned: "Don't get cocky with COVID. This beast changes on us all the time."

Cuomo said new strains are emerging all the time, including a newly discovered California strain that is believed to be a variant of the more highly transmissible U.K. strain.

With more than 1.5 million doses of the vaccine now in arms statewide, Cuomo said the state is on a "week-to-week" basis, with deliveries of 250,000 doses currently expected each week. Every person who received a first dose will receive a second, he assured.

Supply remains the issue, Cuomo said.

Looking ahead, Cuomo said New York stands poised to implement the best public health operation in the United States, with a "surge-and-flex" management system, a New York State public health corps, and a citizens' public health corps run by trained volunteers.

The top priority remains hospital capacity, Cuomo said, and added that the reason why healthcare workers need to be vaccinated first is so hospital staff don't become depleted. With only 63 percent of hospital healthcare workers vaccinated last Monday, this Monday, that number has risen to 72 percent, he said. The range needed for herd immunity is between 70 percent and 90 percent, he said.

Scam hotline

Cuomo also announced a new hotline, 833-VAX-SCAM, to call for reports of vaccination fraud. "If an offer seems too good to be true. . . ." he said. "Everyone wants the vaccine — be aware of fraudsters."