NY reports highest single-day COVID deaths since mass vaccinations began
A person receives a Covid-19 test out of a mobile testing van on January 5, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - In New York, 130 people died due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, 62 of whom were from New York City, according to the latest data released by the state.
The total is the largest number since mass vaccinations began.
Currently, over 11,000 people are hospitalized, the highest total since the peak of the pandemic in spring 2020.
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"Wearing a mask, washing your hands, getting your vaccine, your second dose, your booster - we are not defenseless and these are things you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy," Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "As we make our way through the winter surge, it is important to keep the wellbeing of others in mind. Be mindful of how your actions impact others so we can keep our communities open and thriving."
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The state announced 84,202 new COVID cases, a little over a thousand short of the single-day record of 85,476 that was announced on the first day of 2022.
New York's positivity rate currently is an eye-watering 22.30 percent, while New York City's positivity rates are nearing one in three. The city now accounts for over half of the hospitalizations across the state.
RELATED: Record weekly COVID-19 cases reported worldwide but fewer deaths, WHO says
The World Health Organization said Thursday that a record 9.5 million COVID-19 cases were tallied over the last week as the omicron variant of the coronavirus swept the planet, a 71% increase from the previous 7-day period that the U.N. health agency likened to a "tsunami." However, the number of weekly recorded deaths declined.
In its weekly report on the pandemic, the agency said the weekly count amounted to 9,520,488 new cases — with 41,178 deaths recorded last week compared to 44 680 in the week before that.