COVID-19 Rates in New York Slowly Drop

Seventy-seven New Yorkers died of coronavirus even as infection rates and caseloads continued to slowly drop, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 also dropped to 4,617 Friday and the positive test rate stood at 2.9%, near three month lows.

“We can’t let our guard down until more New Yorkers are vaccinated and the infection rate drops further,” Cuomo said in a statement.

The vaccination rate continues to rise, with 21.7% of New Yorkers receiving at least one dose and 11% fully vaccinated.

Deaths and hospitalizations are declining very slowly even as infection rates decline dramatically from their peak in early January.

New York City remains the hardest hit place in the state, with more deaths and infections. Forty-three of the fatalities were of residents of the five boroughs.

Manhattan was the only borough with a positive COVID-19 test rate below the statewide average, logging in at 2.6%

All the outer boroughs had higher-than-average rates ranging from 4.67% in Staten Island to 4.22% in Brooklyn.

The numbers reflect a weekslong trend in coronavirus numbers in the state and around the nation.

Deaths, infections and positive test rates plunged dramatically from highs reached after the end-of-year holidays.

But in late February the declines leveled off and rates have mostly stayed steady ever since. Even with vaccination rates rising, public health experts fear more-contagious variants of COVID-19 could spark a new surge in the spring.