The percentage of new positive COVID-19 cases on Long Island remains stubbornly higher than the overall rate for New York, according to figures released by the state on Sunday, as outdoor sports and performing arts venues get ready to welcome spectators back beginning this week.
The state recorded 9,395 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Saturday out of a total of 267,261 tests, for a daily positivity rate of 3.52%. The daily positivity rate on Long Island was higher at 4.90%.
Those new cases included 797 in Suffolk County and 690 in Nassau County.
For nine of the last 10 days, the daily positivity rate on Long Island has been 4% or higher. The overall state daily positivity rate has remained under 4% for eight of the last 10 days.
More than 5.8 million New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 3.2 million have completed their vaccination, according to the state.
The infection rate also “depends on what we do, and New Yorkers should continue staying safe and protecting one another as the virus continues to spread in our state,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement on Sunday.
“Simple behaviors like wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing can have outsize impact, especially when communities make the collective decision to follow the rules,” he said.
Cuomo said there was some hope in the daily statistics, pointing out that the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units dropped to 877, a new low since Dec. 6 and a 46% decline from the post-holiday peak.
An additional 64 people died from COVID-19 on Saturday, including three people in Suffolk County and two people in Nassau County, according to the state.
Starting Thursday, Yankee Stadium and Citi Field can host baseball games at up to 20% capacity. Other outdoor sports and performing arts venues that fit 2,500 or more people can reopen at 20% capacity also starting Thursday.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
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