New COVID-19 cases climb on LI, almost as high as this time last summer

Long Island is seeing levels of new COVID-19 cases almost as high as last summer, despite a massive vaccination program launched earlier this year, according to the latest state figures.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on Long Island has nearly doubled in the past week, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant and a large segment of the population that is unvaccinated, data and medical experts show .

The seven-day daily average of new cases on Long Island reached 109 in the latest results released Wednesday, up from 117 on July 14, 2020.

Just a week ago, the daily seven-day average on Long Island was 63 cases per day.

In the latest daily figures, Long Island had a total of 132 cases in Tuesday’s test results – 72 in Nassau County and 60 in Suffolk County. New York City had 476.

Long Island’s positivity rate has reached 1.1%, up from 1.2% a year ago. New York State reached 1.0% versus 1.1%, while New York City reached 1% versus 1.1%.

At least one health expert has said the trends are concerning, although he noted that last summer was a low point in COVID-19 indicators.

“This is alarming because it is increasing quite rapidly,” said Dr Lorry Rubin, director of pediatric infectious diseases at Northwell Health. “Still low numbers, but just worrying about where it can go.”

He said the main factor was the spread of the delta variant, as well as the large number of people who remain unvaccinated.

“There is no doubt that if we had a higher vaccination rate, the impact of this delta variant would be lessened,” he said.

He noted that recent tests have shown that 45% of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York City are caused by the delta variant.

Medical experts also say the numbers are rising because most mandates like mask-wearing and social distancing have been dropped, and people are eager to get back to normal activities – even if they aren’t vaccinated.

Scientists say vaccines dramatically reduce deaths and serious illnesses that require hospitalization, even if a vaccinated person is positive for the virus. State officials reported 55 hospitalizations on Tuesday in Long Island, down from 65 a week earlier, but up from 50 on July 9.

COVID-19 indicators have been increasing for more than two weeks in Long Island and throughout the state. For the fourth day in a row Tuesday, the daily positivity level in tests for the virus was over 1% statewide.

The rate of daily new cases in Nassau is increasing faster than that of Suffolk and its average exceeds that seen a year ago. For the seven days ending July 13, there were 62 new positive test results per day in Nassau, an 82.4% increase from the 34 new cases per day seen a week earlier. A year ago, the seven-day average of new cases in Nassau was 48.

Nassau’s rate of increase exceeds that seen statewide (69.6%) and New York (74.7%).

Overall, the daily average of Long Island cases increased 73% in one week.

In Suffolk, the increase in the daily average of cases was 62.1%, from 29 cases to 47. A year ago, the daily average in Suffolk was 69.

Statewide, two people died of causes related to the virus on Tuesday. One of the deaths took place in Nassau County.

Meanwhile, epidemiologists at Yale University estimate that New York City’s vaccination campaign has prevented an estimated 250,000 cases of COVID-19, 44,000 hospitalizations and 8,300 deaths from the virus, reports said on Wednesday. responsible.

The study looked at the impact of the city’s vaccination campaign from its launch until July 1.

The city’s health ministry has also released data showing how vaccines prevent illness or death.

From January 1 to June 15, some 98.4% of hospitalizations and 98.8% of deaths from COVID-19 infection were people who were not fully vaccinated, the department said.

“Vaccines are safe and surprisingly effective in protecting you and your loved ones,” Health Commissioner Dr Dave A. Chokshi said in a statement.

“Our city has suffered too much suffering to allow hospitalizations and unnecessary deaths to continue unnecessarily. The stakes are so high, and we simply cannot stress enough how urgent it is for New Yorkers to get their vaccines. “

Asked Wednesday at a press conference at a Brooklyn church about a report that New York, unlike states like California, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, only publishes confirmed COVID deaths in the lab, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said the state has always reported cases this way.

“When it comes to COVID reports, we’ve always reported lab-tested COVID results. That’s what our reports have always been. The CDC is asking for additional information on – I forget their terminology, possible COVID deaths or suspected, which we report to them, and then they report. “

With Matthieu Chayes

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