Coronavirus Hospital Deaths Drop From 23% To 8% Statewide: Cuomo

LONG ISLAND, NY — Although the number of new positive coronavirus tests continues to rise statewide, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there's good news: Less people are dying today of COVID-19 than died back in the spring.

Back in March, of those hospitalized, 23 percent died, compared to 8 percent today, Cuomo said.

On Day 279 of the pandemic, Cuomo said gave a snapshot of how New York State is faring in the war against coronavirus: On Friday, the positivity rate for micro-cluster zones statewide stood at 5.4 percent; without the micro-cluster zones, that percentage stood at 4.7. With the micro-cluster zones, New York State's positivity rate was 4.7 percent.

Long Island's positivity rate stood at 4.8 percent Friday, Cuomo said.

A total of 60 people died over the past 24 hours in New York State, Cuomo said.

Currently, the infection rate is less of a focus than hospital rate and capacity, Cuomo said. On Long Island, that rate of hospitalization, per percentage of the population, was .02 percent, he said.

While residents have a "mild version of PTSD from what we all went through in the spring," Cuomo said, the new surge is different than the March pandemic.

In March and April, he said, 25 percent of those hospitalized went to ICU and 85 percent in ICU were intubated, driving the ventilator crisis. Currently, only 18 percent of those hospitalized end up in ICU and only 45 percent of those in ICU are intubated, Cuomo said. Not as many ventilators are needed now, he said.

While the length of a coronavirus-related hospital stay in March and April was 11 days, today it's five days on average, he added. And, again, 8 percent of those hospitalized are dying today compared to 23 percent in the spring, Cuomo said.

"God bless the medical profession, who have learned more about how to treat COVID; we have more therapeutics, better medical practices," he said.

Cuomo said he's asked whether the viral strain has actually weakened. "Nobody will say that but if the death rate has gone from 23 percent to 8 percent, that is truly significant," he said.

Vaccinations for nursing home residents and staff

In another development, the federal government has announced a new initiative where they will do vaccinations for nursing homes and nursing home staff; states can opt in to that initiative, and New York will do so, Cuomo said.

In addition, of New York's 700,000 health care workers, about one third are high-risk; within the next two weeks, there should be enough vaccinations available to vaccinate about one-third of that one-third, Cuomo said.

Local governments need to enforce protocols, Cuomo says

The two greatest issues continue to be spread caused by small gatherings, especially with the holiday season, and also, a lack of compliance, Cuomo said.

More than 70 percent of new positive coronavirus tests coming from small house gatherings, Cuomo said. He recently mandated that no more than 10 are allowed at private gatherings in homes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that gatherings should be limited to just within one's own household, he said.

But, Cuomo said, "The lack of compliance is a problem," whether it be related to COVID-fatigue or a resentment for regulations.

Local governments need to enforce restrictions in bars, restaurants and gyms, Cuomo said. The issue, he said, involves public health, not politics. "Let's leave politics at home," he said.

And, Cuomo said: "The vaccine is the weapon that ends the war. The question is how long it takes."

This article originally appeared on the North Fork Patch