New York’s COVID-19 positivity rate has declined for 61 straight days and hit a record low, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.
The rate, when measured on a seven-day average, sunk to 0.54 percent Friday, Cuomo said. The daily positivity rate was also 0.54 percent with 761 of 140,741 tests coming back positive.
There were 868 people hospitalized with the virus Friday. The state also recorded 14 deaths from COVID-19 including five among New York City residents.
The state had given out 19,407,805 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Saturday afternoon with 66.1 percent of those 18 and older in the state getting at least one dose. A total of 58.1 percent of New Yorkers have completed the vaccine series.
Cuomo said Saturday the state would extend to June 11 its “Vax and Scratch” program to give free lottery scratch-off tickets as an incentive for anyone 18 and older to get the jab. The program is available at 10 mass vaccination sites including the Bay Eden Senior Center in the Bronx.
