Archive: NYS COVID-19 Resources & Information
1/4/21

In the rapidly changing dynamics of combating the Coronavirus, information is updated constantly. This archive is being provided as an additional resource for those seeking to learn more about how New York State is addressing COVID-19.

LATEST NEWS & INFORMATION - 1/4/21     

From Governor Cuomo's latest Zoom debriefing:

OVERVIEW 

  • Day 310
  • Statewide rate without micro-clusters: 7.7%
  • Statewide rate with micro-clusters: 8.34%
  • Micro-cluster rate: 9.35%
  • 134,360 tests conducted
  • 170 fatalities
  • 8,251 hospitalizations, up 288
  • 1,357 ICU patients, up 13
  • 843 intubations, up 28 

REGONAL HOSPITALIZATIONS 

- Finger Lakes: 930 (0.08%)
- Western NY: 531 (0.04%)
- Southern Tier: 209 (0.03%)
- Mid Hudson: 942 (0.04%)
- NYC: 2,884 (0.03%)
- Central NY: 400 (0.05%)
- Mohawk Valley: 299 (0.06%)
- Long Island: 1,506 (0.05%)
- Capital Region: 468 (0.04%)
- North Country: 82 (0.02%) 

POSITIVITY RATE 

- Finger Lakes: 10.22%
- Western NY: 8.43%
- Southern Tier: 5.77%
- Mid Hudson: 8.20%
- Central NY: 9.30%
- Mohawk Valley: 10.38%
- NYC: 6.24%
- Long Island: 9.31%
- Capital Region: 9.91%
- North Country: 9.02%
- Manhattan: 3.52%
- Staten Island 7.15%
- Brooklyn 5.90%
- Queens: 6.9%
- Bronx: 7.31% 

VACCINE

  • Nursing home program is federally-run, pharmacies administer in nursing homes, about half of the population has received so far.
  • NYS will step in to speed up this program.
  • Over the next two weeks, the state will expedite the remaining 15% of nursing home population.
  • Vaccinations in public hospitals need to be managed by public officials.
  • DOH issued a letter to hospitals yesterday requiring the allocation received be used by the end of this week and requires future allocations be used within 7 days of receipt.
  • Hospitals can be fined up to $100,000 or be denied future allocations.
  • Special vaccine efforts include drive-thrus, public facilities, and utilization of retired personnel.
  • Eligibility is extended this week to all healthcare workers who come into contact with the public.
  • By Executive Order, providers can lose their license for fraudulently receiving or administering vaccine.
  • In addition, the Governor will propose a law with criminal penalties. 

SCHOOLS 

  • Schools can remain open if positivity in schools is lower than community rate.
  • Local school districts will make this decision. 

FROM THE Q&A 

On the vaccine refusal rate:

  • Dr. Zucker said data so far on nursing homes is approximately 10% of residents and approximately 15% of staff in nursing homes have refused. 

On Central NY hospital capacity:

  • The number provided today is what the hospital could surge to in 7 days. 

On micro-clusters:

  • The zones will not be diminished until the numbers begin to come down in those regions. 

On why hospitals are not utilizing their allocations fully:

  • Some hospitals have used 99%, others have used a small percentage of their allocation.
  • All hospitals have the ability to store the vaccine, and are responsible for vaccinating their own staff.
  • Hospitals are not required to participate in vaccinations.
  • Most hospitals report a short timeframe (3 weeks) since receipt of vaccine as reason for why they have not utilized their allocations.