The COVID-19 infection rate on Long Island is rising again after falling slightly over the weekend as Suffolk and Nassau provinces reported more than 500 infections recently confirmed in the area.
In Suffolk, 560 new infections have been confirmed, bringing the total in the country to 171,298 since the pandemic began last year. Nassau reported 540 new cases, hitting a total of 157,362.
The average seven-day infection rate on Long Island rose slightly over the weekend, from 4.35 percent on Friday, March 12, to 4.40 percent on Sunday, March 14.
The nationwide positive infection rate also rose slightly over the weekend, from 3.16 percent to 3.22 percent.
As of Friday, March 15, there were 800 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on Long Island, representing 0.03 percent of the region’s population and 34 percent of hospital beds still available.
The state also reports that 648 of Long Island’s 850 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, leaving 22 percent available in the event of a further outbreak of the virus.
If Long Island – or any of the other nine regions of the state – is in danger of reaching its 90 percent capacity rate within three weeks, New York Government Andrew Cuomo has promised to close the entire region, though the numbers tend in the right direction.
The latest outline of communities with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nassau, according to the most recent data provided by the Provincial Department of Health on March 15:
- Levittown: 4,393;
- Hicksville: 3,591;
- Hempstead: 3,488;
- Free port: 3,465;
- East Meadow: 3,199;
- Valleinstroom: 3 123;
- Elmont: 2,689;
- Ocean: 2,688;
- Langstrand: 2,664;
- Franklin Square: 2,610;
- Glen Cove: 2,460;
- Uniondale: 2,280;
- Massapequa: 1,950;
- Rockville Center: 1,893;
- Baldwin: 1,761;
- Woodmere: 1,719;
- North Bellmore: 1,656;
- Wantagh: 1,656;
- Plainview: 1,653;
- West Hempstead: 1,623
- Northern Massapequa: 1,608;
- Lynbrook: 1,563;
- Mineola: 1,560;
- Merrick: 1,543;
- Massapequapark: 1,491;
- Seaford: 1,466;
- East Massapequa: 1,451;
- Garden City: 1,447;
- Bethpage: 1,411.
According to the Department of Health, the outline of cases reported in Suffolk County is:
- Brookhaven: 48,100;
- Islip: 42,253;
- Babylon: 23,852;
- Huntington: 19,482;
- Smithtown: 11,982;
- Southampton: 5,049;
- Riverhead: 3,196;
- Southold: 1,507;
- East Hampton: 1,476;
- Shelter Island: 48.
According to Cuomo, 127,005 COVID-19 tests were performed in New York on March 14, scoring 4,517 new cases for a positive infection rate of 4.57 percent, lower than the previous day.
Thirty-one new COVID-19 patients were admitted to New York hospitals, and 4,517 were still being treated nationwide. There are 923 in ICU and 614 have been incubated.
There have been 58 new COVID-19 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.
“We know that the vaccine is the weapon that will win this war, but we also know that one of the most important actions to stop the spread of COVID was to wash your hands, wear a mask and take social distance,” Cuomo said. .
“As more vaccine supplies come into New York and more needles come into our arms, we are so much closer to achieving our goals, but we need to stay vigilant. New Yorkers have made incredible progress that we can all be proud of, but we are still until the day we reach the light at the end of the tunnel, we must all stay tough in New York. ‘
Across the country, a total of 1,734,213 positive COVID-19 cases were confirmed from more than 41.3 million tests administered. There have been a total of 39,585 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.
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