Hochul: 'COVID forecast is improving,' statewide positivity rate drops

NEW YORK - COVID positivity rates in New York have seen a major drop, Governor Kathy Hochul said on Sunday.

"The COVID forecast is improving… the COVID clouds are parting," Hochul said during a press briefing on the winter storm set to hit the region Sunday evening. "We have seen a major decline in what we are experiencing here."

According to Hochul, over 400,000 tests were administered Saturday and around 48,000 people tested positive, down from the record on January 7 which saw over 90,000 new cases across the state.

New York's statewide positivity rate now stands at 12.9 percent, a major decrease from last week when the positivity rate was at almost 20 percent. 

The positivity rate is the lowest number the state has seen since December 24.

Despite the good news, Hochul said that numbers in upstate New York are still high and lagging behind New York City, where numbers have been dropping.

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"Overall, the forecast for COVID is much brighter that it had been before," Hochul said.

Hochul continued to encourage New Yorkers to get tested and vaccinated for COVID and to stay home if they are not feeling well.