NEW YORK, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 positivity rate in New York State on Friday was 3.06 percent, the lowest since Nov. 23, down from 3.49 percent one day earlier, said Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday.
Hospitalizations dropped below 6,000 for the first time since Dec. 14 to reach 5,977, while the 7-day average positivity rate had declined for 43 straight days, added the governor.
"Our ability to beat back COVID is entirely dependent on our actions, and the post-holiday reduction in positivity and hospitalizations demonstrates that New Yorkers are continuing to do the right things to stay safe," Cuomo was quoted as saying in an official release.
"As these numbers go down, vaccinations are going up, and that means we're making real progress toward the light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "We have the capacity and distribution network to get even more vaccines in arms, but because of limited supply this will continue to be a marathon, not a sprint."
Hazardous winter conditions delayed the distribution of 6 million doses of coronavirus vaccines this week, the White House announced on Friday, hindering lifesaving vaccine drives just as they were gaining momentum. The delayed doses amounted to a three-day supply, and this week's winter storms have slowed the arrival of vaccine in all 50 states.
As of Saturday noon, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported 46,641 deaths in New York State, the second worst in the country following the state of California with a death toll of 48,871.