NYC COVID positivity rate hits 7 percent, hospitalizations in NY pass 7,000

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Medical workers tend to a patient at a Brooklyn hospital that has seen a rise in coronavirus-related cases on December 15, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - New York City's seven-day COVID positivity rate has reached 7%, while the number of people in the state hospitalized by the virus passed 7,000, according to the latest data from officials.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday that there are an additional 3,015 coronavirus cases reported in New York City, with another 191 people hospitalized.

Meanwhile, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the number of New Yorkers hospitalized due to the virus had reached 7,138, with another 115 people joining the state's death toll.

Over 900,000 coronavirus cases have been reported in New York and over 37,000 people have died since the pandemic began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

"As we near the end of the holiday season, New York remains locked in a footrace between the vaccine's quick distribution and COVID-19's continued spread," Governor Cuomo said in a statement. "It has been a tough year and we still have several tough months ahead, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and we will make it there if we all do our part to slow the spread. New York is working closely with the medical community to not only administer the vaccine but to continue growing capacity as well. As that work progresses, the rest of us need to step up, stay united, and continue doing what we know works—wearing masks, staying socially distanced, and washing our hands."

• RELATED: US reaches grim milestone after COVID-19 cases top 19 million

The latest numbers come as the U.S. recently reached the grim milestone of 19 million coronavirus cases nationwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. It reached that number just six days after reaching 18 million, with the number of cases nationwide doubling in under two months.

Over 332,000 Americans have died due to COVID-19.