Cuomo: COVID-19 numbers trending down, mutating strains cause for concern

ALBANY, N.Y. (WROC) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave an update on the state's coronavirus response efforts Monday.

Daily data

On day 324 of the pandemic in New York state, the governor provided the following data:

• 186,205 COVID-19 tests reported Sunday statewide
• 6.54% positivity rate overall statewide
• 153 New Yorkers died Sunday from COVID-19
• 8,868 hospitalized
• 1,523 in ICU
• 997 intubated

Trending down

"We said we're in a footrace between the vaccination rate and the COVID positivity rate, so where are we in that footrace?" Gov. Cuomo said. "Good news: We're seeing a decline in the COVID rates post-Christmas, New Year's Eve surge. We said during the holiday season, people gather, depending on how you gather would depend on the infection rate."

The governor said he was encouraged by slowed increase of positivity rate and hospitalization rate.

"Depending by region, and how smart and careful people were, it then plateaued, and it looks like we're coming down. so that's good news, relatively," Gov. Cuomo said.

Mutating strains

The governor warned against mutating strains of COVID-19 discovered in the U.K., South Africa, and Brazil, and said the federal government should start restricting incoming flights from these places.

"Any of these three strains could be a second wave," Cuomo said. "If the CDC is right and the UK strain becomes dominant strain in March, that would then see an increased infection rate and that would not be good. Why are you still allowing people to just fly into this country?"

When it comes to the daily numbers, and hospitalization rates across the region, click through the slideshow below: