New York reported a new daily record of 13,422 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, while the state continues to implement its coronavirus vaccination plan.
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) shared the update on Twitter, saying 8.7 percent of the 154,949 COVID-19 tests that were conducted were positive. At a news conference on Wednesday, he characterized the number of tests performed as “a little low”, saying that New York had previously performed more than 250,000 tests.
Today’s update on the numbers:
The total number of COVID hospitalizations is 7,892.
Of the 154,949 exams reported yesterday, 13,422 were positive (8.66% of the total).
Unfortunately, there were 144 deaths. pic.twitter.com/EStJsWqt7b
– Andrew Cuomo
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Cuomo told a news conference that the state must reopen the economy before the majority of its population is vaccinated. Cuomo noted that initial figures estimate that 70 to 90 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated for the state to reach “critical mass”.
“This is a very large percentage of the population. If you hear the term they’re talking about, it starts about six months. We would be in critical mass in June, and then [the estimate] it was around September, and now some people are talking about the end of the year, ”he said.
According to Cuomo, the state cannot wait that long, saying, “We cannot bear the economic cost. We cannot bear the psychological cost. We cannot bear the emotional cost. We must be prepared for this.”
More than 203,000 people have received a dose of the coronavirus vaccine in New York so far, Cuomo said.
In an attempt to reopen, Cuomo also announced on Wednesday that 6,700 fans would be allowed to watch the first playoff game at Buffalo Bills’ home in January. Cuomo called this change a “pilot” for future events in New York. All participants must provide a negative COVID-19 test before the game and contact tracking will be carried out later.
The state also carried out 4,300 sequencing tests, said Cuomo, while trying to detect the most infectious new COVID-19 strain that was first found in the United Kingdom. The strain has so far not been found in New York, the governor said.