Nearly 1,000 more Long Islanders tested positive Friday for the coronavirus — 439 in Nassau and 557 in Suffolk — a daily number that has fallen slightly in recent days but is still higher than earlier in the summer, before the virus’ delta variant began to sweep through the region.
Still, the latest figures, released Saturday afternoon by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, show a rising positivity rate, as averaged over seven days: 4.30% on Friday; it was 4.17% on Thursday and 4.15% on Wednesday. The state’s rate is also rising: 3.32% on Friday, 3.30% on Thursday, and 3.18% on Wednesday.
There were 26 deaths across New York State, including one Nassau County resident and another from Suffolk, Hochul’s office said.
At least 55,453 people have now died from the virus, Hochul’s office said, publicizing a higher tally than was disclosed during former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s tenure, when the higher tally was reported to the federal government while what the state publicly announced was about 12,000 deaths lower.
Long Island’s adult vaccination rate is about 83%, according to the state’s vaccination tracker, with a slightly lower rate in Suffolk County than in Nassau: 87.2% with at least one dose compared to 79.9% in Suffolk.
As of Friday, about 66.2% of all Nassau residents age 12 and older are fully vaccinated, compared to 59.8% in Suffolk.
At the current pace, 70% of Long Islanders will have been fully vaccinated by Oct. 23 and 90% by April 3.
The state health department, at Hochul’s direction, on Friday announced a statewide masking mandate for all public and private schools, covering prekindergarten through 12th grade.
As of earlier this month, there were at least 10 other states and the District of Columbia that followed a recommendation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that schools adopt masking mandates, according to a count by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Those places are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington, and the District of Columbia.
And, according to Pew, at least eight states — Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Florida, South Carolina, Texas and Utah — have prohibited locals districts from enacting masking mandates.
Most states have left the issue up to localities.
In Florida’s case, a local judge blocked the prohibition, ruling the state had gone too far.
Also Friday, the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island issued a vaccine mandate for all clergy and personnel. Sean Dolan, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, which covers Long Island, declined to say whether the diocese would impose a mandate.
With Matt Clark
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