NEW YORK (WBEN) -- New York's COVID-19 infection rate rose above 3 percent on Tuesday as the state reported its highest number of new cases since the beginning of May and its highest daily death toll since June.
Of the 128,036 COVID-19 test results that came back in the state on Monday, 3,965, or 3.09 percent, were positive, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a release.
As of Monday, 1,548 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19, up by 104 from Sunday, he said. The state also reported 32 new COVID-19 fatalities, bringing its death toll to 26,005.
New York hasn't reported a daily case total higher than Monday's since May 1, when Cuomo reported 4,663 new positive COVID-19 cases. Its daily death toll, meanwhile, has not hit 32 or higher since June 12, and its hospitalization total has not surpassed 1,500 since June 15, state Department of Health data shows.
"While New York's COVID positivity remains the third-lowest in the nation, we continue to see increases in both new positive cases and hospital admissions, demonstrating we are not immune to the surge we are seeing throughout the rest of the nation," Cuomo said in a statement.
"While we may be tired of COVID, it is not tired of us," he added. "It's clear that COVID fatigue and a lack of compliance leads to viral spread, so it's more important than ever that as we prepare for winter, each of us stays smart and New York Tough by taking simple, everyday actions like washing hands, wearing masks and socially distancing."
Excluding COVID-19 microclusters in areas including Brooklyn, Queens, Rockland County and Westchester County, New York state reported a 2.56 percent infection rate, Cuomo noted. The microclusters themselves reported a 5.59 percent positivity rate.
[shortcode-inline-related expand="1" link="/wben/news/local/yellow-zone-in-erie-county-has-7-47-positive-rate" headline=""Yellow Zone" in Erie County has 7.47 positive rate" image="/media-library/image.jpg?id=63601535"]Of the 32 New Yorkers who died of complications related to COVID-19, four lived in Allegany County; two lived in the Bronx; two lived in Broome County; one lived in Chemung County; two lived in Dutchess County; six lived in Erie County; one lived in Franklin County; one lived in Brooklyn; two lived in Monroe County; two lived in Nassau County; one lived in Niagara County; three lived in Onondaga County; one lived in Orleans County; one lived in Queens; one lived in Steuben County; one lived in Sullivan County and one lived in Westchester County.
Breakdowns of infection rates by microcluster, region and New York City borough are below:
