Health

New York reports record 85,000 COVID cases in a day

The number of
positive test results — 85,476, or roughly 22% of the total tests reported by
the state — once again outstripped a record set just the day before. And New
York’s turbocharged increase in cases shows no signs of slowing, with new
infections from holiday travel and gatherings most likely not yet reflected in
official counts.

“As we fight the
winter surge, we need to keep the most vulnerable among us in mind — do what
you can to keep others in your community safe from COVID-19,” Gov Kathy Hochul
said in a statement announcing the state’s latest totals. “Wear a mask, wash
your hands and take advantage of the best tool we have at our disposal — the
vaccine.”

New York is one of
several hot spots — along with Washington, DC, and other Eastern states —
leading a national surge. On Thursday, a record 585,013 new cases were recorded
nationwide, and hospitalisations are trending upward across much of the
country.

In the previous 24
hours in New York state, nearly 90,000 vaccine doses had been administered,
according to Hochul’s statement. Eighty-eight deaths in the state were
attributed to COVID. Nationally, there were 1,181 COVID deaths recorded Friday,
according to a New York Times database.

As recently as two
weeks ago, a total of 21,000 positive tests in New York was enough to set an
alarming record. The stunning recent increases in positivity rates, fueled at
least in part by the highly transmissible omicron variant, served as an
unwelcome reminder that the pandemic was entering its third year.

See also  Bangladesh’s virus cases surge by 397 in a day, 1 death

Although it involved
substantially fewer cases, the US winter surge around the same time last year
crested on Jan 12, suggesting that the country may have a week or more before
this current wave reaches its peak. According to some testing experts, however,
omicron’s incubation period may be as short as 72 hours, which could accelerate
this wave’s progression.

©2021 The New York
Times Company

Related Articles

Back to top button