ALBANY, N.Y. — State and local positive cases of COVID-19 continue to rise according to the latest data from the New York State Health Department (NYSDOH).
As of Wednesday, the statewide positivity rate stands at 2.95%. In the WNY Region, which includes Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Allegany counties, the rate is 5.5%.
However, in the newly designated Erie County yellow micro cluster zone, the rate shoots up to 8.16%.
The region’s 7 day rolling average is 4.7%. There were 11,855 people who were tested on Wednesday, and 652 were positive. Of those positive results, 512 were in Erie County, and the percent positive in the county was 6.4%. The 7 day rolling average of new cases per 100,000 residents in the county is now 38.
The total number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 in the Western New York region on Wednesday was 134, up eight people from the day before. The last time 134 people were hospitalized with the virus in the region was June 4th.
"COVID is raging nationally, setting record numbers of cases and hospitalizations with each passing day," Governor Cuomo said. "While New York is doing better than just about any state in the United States, we are not immune from the national trend. Now it's up to what we do. There is no pre-destined future here. It's a pure consequence of our actions. If we stay New York Tough and don't fall subject to COVID fatigue and we stay smart through the holidays, through Thanksgiving, through Christmas, through Hanukkah, we'll keep it under control. New Yorkers just have to continue to take it seriously. I know it has been a long time, but these next weeks are going to be key and we really need people to buckle down to fend off the tide."
Across the state on Wednesday, 162,627 diagnostic tests were performed and 4,707 of those came back positive. On November 11, 29 New Yorkers succumbed to the virus; five of those in Erie County, one in Allegany County. Since the pandemic began, 26,055 state residents have died as a result of COVID-19.