A Long Island resident has the first known case of the South African coronavirus variant in New York State, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.
The moved version of COVID-19 was detected at a resident of Nassau County, the governor said in a press release.
The announcement came a week after it was found that a Connecticut resident in New York had the option.
The strain, originally identified in South Africa, was first discovered in the United States last month – and scientists believe it can spread more easily than other variants of the virus.
Arriving in the Empire State means “it’s more important than ever for New Yorkers to stay vigilant, wear masks, wash their hands, and stay socially distant,” Cuomo said.
“We are in a race right now – between our vaccination capacity and these variants that are actively trying to proliferate – and we will only win that race if we remain smart and disciplined,” he said.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran also urged residents to continue to take precautions.
“We do not believe that the South African version is more deadly, but it can be more contagious,” Curran said in a statement. “The best answer is to continue the tried and true precautions: wearing masks, avoiding social gatherings, distancing yourself, staying home and getting tested when you are sick.”
Meanwhile, the latest COVID-19 numbers of the state continued to show a downward trend in hospitalizations and deaths after an increase around the holiday season.
Less than 5,800 patients were hospitalized with the virus on Saturday, down more than 800 from a week earlier.
Officials recorded 75 deaths through COVID-19 on Saturday, the first time since December 16 when the daily death toll was below 100.
Cuomo also announced that the COVID-19 state positivity rate was 2.99%, falling below 3% for the first time since November 23rd.
“We continue to see a reduction in positivity and hospitalizations across the state, which is good news, and this progress allows us to further reopen the valve of our economy,” Cuomo said.
With Post threads