NEW YORK (WBEN) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged families to "think twice" about Thanksgiving gatherings this year as New York state reported over 2,200 new COVID cases.
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 Western New York, the positivity rate as of Saturday was 2.6%, the highest rate statewide outside of red zones.
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.
