New York City Reports 85,000 Cases In One Day, The Greatest Number Since The Outbreak Began.
Officials revealed on Saturday that New York State had documented over 85,000 new coronavirus cases on the final day of 2021, the largest one-day number in the state since the pandemic began.
The number of positive test results, which accounted for 85,476, or nearly 22% of all tests submitted by the state, surpassed a previous high established just the day before. And the rapid rise in cases in New York shows little signs of diminishing, with new infections from Christmas travel and gatherings likely not yet reflected in official figures.
"As we fight the winter spike, we must remember the most vulnerable among us – do what you can to keep others in your community safe from Covid-19," Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement releasing the latest figures. "Put on a mask, wash your hands, and use the finest weapon we have at our disposal: the vaccine."
New York is one of several hotspots spearheading a national surge, along with Washington, D.C., and other Eastern states. A total of 585,013 new cases were reported nationwide on Thursday, setting a new high, while hospitalizations are on the rise across much of the country.
According to Governor Hochul's statement, almost 90,000 vaccination doses were provided in New York State in the previous 24 hours. Eighty-eight people have died.
Covid was responsible for 88 deaths across the state. According to a New York Times database, there were 1,181 Covid deaths nationwide on Friday.