NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged families to "think twice" about Thanksgiving gatherings this year as New York state reported over 2,200 new COVID cases and New Jersey recorded over 1,700 on Sunday.
Cuomo said there were 2,255 new cases in New York state, 1.51% of the 148,935 tests conducted statewide Saturday.
There were 412 positives in the state's "focus areas" with higher COVID rates and another 1,843 in the rest of the state.
The positivity rate in the focus areas was 3.10%. It was 1.36% in the rest of the state.
New York also reported 17 more deaths, including seven in New York City. The state's death toll is now 25,824.
There were 1,125 patients hospitalized, an increase of four patients since the day before. Of those patients, 259 were in intensive care and 117 were intubated.
In a conference call with reporters on Sunday, Cuomo said that many of the new cases are coming from small gatherings, unlike at the beginning of the pandemic when many were linked to larger gatherings.
"These are relatively small gatherings. They're parties. They're family meals," Cuomo said. "There's an attitude that since we're all in the same family, we're safe … It's not correct. You have a Thanksgiving dinner with seven people, you can still be infected."
Cuomo said he understood people want to get together for the holidays but that such gatherings risk spreading the virus in the coming weeks.
"I think you're going to see the number increase even more after Thanksgiving," the governor said. "And it's going to be coming into December, when you run into the flu season, etcetera. And I think we have to double down on the precautions even though it is Thanksgiving. I understand the symbolism of Thanksgiving. I appreciate the desire to be with family, but I really urge people to think twice this year."
Cuomo said that despite the challenges the fall and winter months bring, New York is "managing it well." He said the state has the third lowest positivity rate in the nation but that New Yorkers still must remain vigilant by social distancing and wearing masks.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said there were 1,751 new COVID cases. The state's total is now 239,629.
Camden County saw the highest number of new cases at 186. Essex County reported 173 and Bergen County reported 161.
New Jersey has been reporting more than 1,000 new cases each day for two weeks as it deals with a surge of COVID. Speaking on CNN's "New Day" on Friday morning, the governor said a statewide curfew couldn't be ruled out.
"If we had to. I just hope we don't have to," Murphy said. "We've done it before. If we had to, we'd do it again. But please God, I hope we don't have to get to that."
On Sunday, Murphy said there were 19 more deaths from COVID, bringing the state's death toll to 14,561 people, not including 1,793 probable deaths.
There were 1,104 patients hospitalized in New Jersey. Among those patients, 213 were in intensive care and 101 required ventilators.
