Upstate New York COVID-19 rates continue to lead nation – Times Union
COVID-19 rates continue to climb in the Capital Region, though the numbers are beginning to flatten out elsewhere in the state.
The eight-county Capital Region as of Thursday had a seven-day average COVID-19 rate of 44.8 cases per population of 100,000, up from about 40 per 100,000 two days earlier.
Rates in all eight counties are outpacing the statewide average of 34.5 infections per population of 100,000, according to the state Department of Health.
Saratoga County’s infection rate is currently the region’s highest, with about 50 active cases per population of 100,000 as of Thursday, according to state data. The numbers are also ticking up in Warren County where there is a seven-day average infection rate of 49.8 per 100,000 people.
Albany County’s infection rate per 100,000 was at 43.4 Thursday, Schenectady’s was at 42.9 and Rensselaer County’s rate was at 46.5, according to state data.
Despite the rising numbers, hospitalizations and deaths remain low. Of 12 deaths reported statewide, three deaths were in the Capital Region, two in Albany County and one in Greene County, state records show.
As of Thursday, April 28, 2022, most counties in upstate New York have been flagged by the Centers for Disease Control as having high levels of COVID-19.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Upstate New York’s COVID-19 rates continue to lead the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
As of Thursday, nearly every New York county north of Greene was shaded orange, indicating high community infection rates on the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels map. Virtually every other state in the country is labeled green, signaling low levels of infection.
The main difference between the medium and high designations is that all residents in counties with high levels of COVID-19 are encouraged to mask in indoor public spaces. In counties with a medium-level designation, the recommendation applies to individuals who are medically vulnerable.
CDC Community Levels are determined based on new hospital admissions or use of inpatient beds as well as the seven-day average of new cases per population of 100,000.
County health departments have issued advisories recommending mask-wearing in line with the CDC guidelines and announced additional vaccination clinics.
Rensselaer County spokesman Rich Crist said that the county has not issued a mask advisory, instead focusing on free vaccination clinics and distribution of at-home testing. Regarding masking, “we believe the choice should be up to the residents and they should exercise commonsense as they see fit,” Crist said.
The recent surge in New York was largely driven by two substrains of omicron that emerged in central New York.
Central New York’s infection rate was the highest in the state and trended upward for several weeks, but in the last week, the numbers have declined about 5 percent, state officials said Friday.
New York City, which already had a relatively low case rate, saw its COVID-19 numbers decline more than 12 percent in the past week, according to the governor’s office.
“I encourage New Yorkers to continue using the tools so that we can move forward safely through this pandemic,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “Make sure you and your loved ones are fully vaccinated and get the booster once you are eligible. Be sure to get tested if you’re feeling sick, especially before traveling, and if you test positive talk to your doctor about available treatments.”
