New York’s COVID-19 cases were down by 12% statewide amid news that vaccines for children under 5 could be available as early as this week.
New York reported 37,538 new COVID-19 cases in the week ending Sunday, down 12% from the previous week’s tally of 42,634 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. The state’s hospitalization rates rose slightly last week, as well as overall deaths.
New York ranked 22nd among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
As of Tuesday, just two of the state’s 62 counties — Long Island’s Nassau and Suffolk Counties — remained in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “high risk” category, which is based on local COVID-19 case rates and hospital capacity issues. That’s down from seven counties a week ago, and 32 counties three weeks ago.
Meanwhile, federal regulators and health officials last week issued final recommendations that COVID-19 vaccines be available to children under 5 nationwide. The shots will be accessible at doctor’s offices, pharmacies, clinics and other locations.
The federal government ordered 10 million vaccine doses prior to the decision. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna vaccines will be available at lower doses than those administered to older children and adults. Shots will not be administered to babies 6 months and under.
In the latest week, coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 0.7% from the week before, with 730,572 cases reported.
With 5.84% of the country’s population, New York had 5.14% of the country’s cases in the last week. Across the country, 15 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Feds greenlight vaccines:CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for youngest Americans; shots will become available as soon as Tuesday
Vaccines for kids in NY:Feds could soon approve COVID vaccine for kids under 5. What to know
COVID-19 cases falling across NY
- In the latest week, Westchester County’s cases fell by 21%, reporting 1,929 cases and four deaths.
- Rockland County’s cases declined by 10%, reporting 570 cases and zero deaths.
- Putnam County’s cases dropped by 17%, reporting 169 cases and zero deaths.
- Dutchess County’s cases were down by 25%, reporting 405 cases and zero deaths.
- Orange County’s cases rose by 30%, reporting 828 cases and zero deaths.
- Upstate, Monroe County’s cases plummeted by 35%, reporting 453 cases and nine deaths.
- Broome County’s cases fell by 40%, reporting 118 cases and one death.
- Oneida County’s cases declined by 10%, reporting 188 cases and zero deaths.
Across New York, cases fell in 52 counties, with the best declines in:
- New York County, with 4,571 cases from 6,492 a week earlier
- Queens County, with 5,976 cases from 7,079
- Nassau County, with 3,294 cases from 4,025
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Within New York, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in:
- Richmond County with 329 cases per 100,000 per week
- New York County with 281
- Kings County with 280
The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Weekly case counts rose in nine counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in Kings, Bronx and Richmond counties.
In New York, 177 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 138 people were reported dead.
A total of 5,547,045 people in New York have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 69,449 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 86,246,101 people have tested positive and 1,013,413 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
New York’s COVID-19 hospital admissions rising slightly
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 19.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 3,563
- The week before that: 3,267
- Four weeks ago: 4,113
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 59,526
- The week before that: 57,395
- Four weeks ago: 52,179
Hospitals in 29 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 31 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
