Long Island reported the highest seven-day average Covid-19 positivity rate in New York State as the state broke its record for single-day case diagnoses three days in a row over the weekend.
LI’s positivity rate was 9.23%, the state reported on Sunday, when Nassau County had more than 2,000 cases and Suffolk County had more than 1,900, for another one of the highest days locally since the pandemic began.
“We must stay vigilant against the winter Covid-19 surge by taking the proper precautions against the spread of this virus,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “This is not March of 2020, we are not defenseless. We have the tools to protect ourselves and the vulnerable loves ones in our families: Get vaccinated, get the booster and wear a mask when indoors or in large gatherings. Don’t take a chance during the winter surge.”
After the state broke its record for the most cases of the coronavirus diagnosed in a single day on Friday, it then broke that record two more days in a row, with 22,478 being the latest tally from the state health department on Sunday.
Fueling the surge are small indoor holiday gatherings that allow the coronavirus to spread, cold weather in which the virus thrives, and the new Omicron variant that spreads more quickly than prior strains.
The Omicron virus is making Covid-19 vaccinations and booster shots more crucial than ever for traveling Americans, chief White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday.
Omicron has been found through testing in 43 out of 50 U.S. states and around 90 countries so far after first being identified in southern Africa and Hong Kong in late November.
The number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission and is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, the World Health Organization said on Saturday.
-With Reuters
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