NY state's COVID-19 hospitalizations top 4K for first time since end of May: Cuomo

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NEW YORK (WBEN) -- The number of New Yorkers hospitalized with COVID-19 complications has surpassed 4,000 for the first time since the end of May, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

As of Wednesday, hospitals in New York state were treating 4,063 people for COVID-19, up from 3,924 on Tuesday, Cuomo said at a news briefing Thursday afternoon.

Today's update on the numbers:

Of the 203,440 tests reported yesterday, 9,855 were positive (4.84% of total).

Total hospitalizations are at 4,063.

Sadly, there were 61 COVID fatalities yesterday. pic.twitter.com/2ZQp2fcZ88

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 3, 2020

Seven hundred and eighty-three of those 4,063 were in intensive care and 377 were on ventilators, he said. New York’s COVID-19 hospitalizations last topped 4,000 on May 27, when 4,010 residents were hospitalized with the virus, health department data shows.

Long Island recorded 64 new hospitalizations — the most of any region — over the past three days, followed by the Mid-Hudson region, which recorded 54, and New York City, which recorded 52.

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Taking population into account, the WNY hospitalization rate was the highest of all regions, Cuomo noted.

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“Really, you want to look at this compared to the population in that area, right?” he said. “That is how many people are hospitalized as a percentage of that population. And that is, I think, probably the most relevant chart right now.”

The state’s hospitals have a total of 53,000 beds, Cuomo noted, 35,000 of which are currently occupied.

Of the 203,440 COVID-19 test results that came back in New York on Wednesday, 9,855, or 4.84 percent, were positive, he said. The state also reported 61 new COVID-19-related fatalities.

COVID-19 cases for Dec. 2: 771 new cases were confirmed by @ECDOH out of 9,973 diagnostic reports received for a daily positivity rate of 7.7%. The 7-day positivity rate average is 7.7%. Total cases through Dec. 2 are now 27,428.

This is a new high total for daily reported cases. pic.twitter.com/3X3gBWKvCp

— Erie County Department of Health 😷 (@ECDOH) December 3, 2020

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