R&I – FS
Coronavirus infections in New York City are continuing to climb to worrisome levels not seen in months as health experts warn about difficult winter ahead.
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday said that the city’s seven-day average positivity rate had risen to 5.2%, the highest it has been in six months.
The city has now surpassed two of three warning markers that the mayor initially announced in August as a way of knowing whether the virus had gotten out of control.
Officials determined a 5% threshold for the positivity rate, and 550 for the seven-day average number of new cases. The city blew past the latter number in late October. Average daily cases are now closing in on 2,000.
In another bad sign, 174 patients were recently admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms. The warning marker for that indicator is 200.
“What we are now seeing more than we have seen in a long long time unfortunately is these three indicators moving in the wrong direction,” the mayor said during his morning press conference. “It’s quite clear at this point that this second wave is right upon us.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered hospitals to draw up emergency plans and expand capacity. While he also expressed concern, de Blasio said hospitals were nonetheless better equipped to handle a surge of patients than they were in the spring.
This week, city officials began urging New Yorkers over 65 and those with underlying conditions to stay at home.
RandyMarsh
Article URL : https://gothamist.com/news/coronavirus-updates-new-york-citys-virus-positivity-hits-highest-level-6-months