BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Western New York reported a 0.9 percent infection rate, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo during a Wednesday news conference.
"It's a good number in general but especially good for Western New York," Cuomo said.
The infection rate for October 6 was the lowest for the region since September 22.
New York's positive test rate was 1 percent across the entire state. Cuomo said the "hotspots" are five times that of the overall state rate and predominantly in New York City.
"The spread is inevitable if we do not control the hotspots," Cuomo said. "There are facts, even if they're unpleasant and we know, because we have lived it and every expert will tell you and our experience shows it, if you do not control the infection rate, it will spread."
The governor doubled down on his cluster initiative that would effectively shut down non-essential businesses and limit gatherings in any area where there is deemed to be a cluster by the state. Protesters in New York City blasted the initiative and a demonstration Orthodox Jewish worshippers on Tuesday night featured burning of masks in response to the state plan.
"There are communities that are upset, that's because they haven't been following the original rules," Cuomo said. "That's why the infection spread because they weren't following the rules. The rules weren't being enforced and they weren't being enforced because the community didn't want to follow them. That's why we are where we are. Make no mistake."
Cuomo said the rules are a "dramatic shift" in society but defended his actions by saying it was data-driven and not arbitrary against any community.
The governor also blasted President Trump on Thursday for the federal government's decision not to address a stimulus bill until after the election. He called it the "height of unreasonableness."
"The only way to get close to closing that ($50 billion deficit) within the state's abilities, you would have to do a tax increase, you would have to cut expenses, and you would have to borrow," Cuomo said. "This would do tremendous economic damage to the state. My position is the state is not liable for this deficit. It was caused by the federal government's negligence. I'm not taking action to close the deficit. The federal government has to make up for the deficit."
