NEW YORK (WBEN) -- New York state reported nearly 6,000 new coronavirus cases on Saturday as statewide hospitalizations increased to more than 2,400.
The state reported 5,972 positive cases, 2.87% of 207,907 tests conducted on Friday. The number of tests is a new single-day record for the state.
In Western New York the current rolling seven day average positivity rate is 4.99%. In the Erie County orange cluster zone the seven day rolling rate was 7.25%. The Erie yellow rate was 7.58& and the Niagara yellow zone was 4.3%.
Statewide hospitalizations increased by 95 to 2,443 patients. Of those patients, 381 were newly admitted.
The number of patients in intensive care rose by 22 to 467, while the number of patients with intubation increased by 7 to 212.
There were 34 more deaths statewide, including nine in Erie County. The state's death toll is now 26,326 people.
While the statewide positivity rate was 2.87%, it was 4.34% in the state's "focus zone areas." Outside of the focus areas, the positivity rate was lower at 2.49%.
New York Governor
New York City's positivity rate was 2.6% on Friday and 2.54% on a seven-day rolling average, according to the state's metrics. The city puts the seven-day rolling average at 3.11%.
In a statement Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo noted New York's record number of tests on Friday but warned the state is "in no way immune" from the coronavirus surge seen nationwide ahead of Thanksgiving.
"While we continue to see COVID-19 cases surge around the globe, our data-driven micro-cluster strategy—centered on a robust testing program—has helped New York maintain one of the nation's lowest infection rates," Cuomo said.
"However, we are in no way immune to the problems we are seeing elsewhere, and we are entering a very dangerous period with the cold weather and holidays approaching," the governor added.
Cuomo said he understood people's desire to come together for the holidays but that "truly loving someone in 2020 unfortunately means you might not get to be together physically."
"Time and again, New Yorkers have put their toughness on display in order to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe—and we must continue doing that, as difficult as it may be," Cuomo said.
