A fact: New York state, which once had the highest number of cases in the nation, now has the nation’s lowest rate of transmission (Rt) — at just 0.77. An Rt of 1 or higher means that COVID-19 is increasing — an Rt of below 1 means it is decreasing.
Why is New York one of the rare few where case numbers continue to decline even as the state reopens? Governor Cuomo believes it’s because of New Yorkers’ discipline and caution — including the widespread wearing of face masks. We must continue to be disciplined. If we stay the course, we will avoid the “second waves” that other countries are now grappling with.
The number of COVID hospitalizations continues to decline. Yesterday total hospitalizations fell to 1,898, from 2,042 the day before. Sadly we lost 42 New Yorkers to the virus.
Elsewhere:
Finley, the 6-year-old Golden Retriever from Canandaigua, NY, who was recognized by Guinness World Records for being able to hold a record six tennis balls in his mouth with no assistance, finally received his certification. He even broke his own record and is able to hold seven tennis balls in his mouth. Congratulations again to this very good dog on his world record!
The state has learned new insights about the patients being hospitalized with COVID-19 from a survey of hospitals. New York received 1,269 survey responses from 113 hospitals over three days. Of the newly hospitalized patients, 66% were at home before they were admitted, compared to 18% who had been in nursing homes, 4% in assisted living and less than one percent from jails or prisons. Only 4% of respondents reported having used public transportation.