New York's COVID Death Rate Hit a New Low: Fewest Daily Fatalities in Nine Months

By Yehudit Garmaise

     The tally of COVID-19 deaths in New York is the lowest it has been since Sept. 20, 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said yesterday.

     Two New Yorkers, both Brooklynites, died from the virus Friday, Gov. Cuomo said.

     On April 8, 2020, a day in which the governor directed state buildings to fly their flags at half-staff in mourning, 779 residents of New York state died from COVID, which Gov. Cuomo called, “this vicious predator of a virus."

     In other good news, however, on Friday, only 0.52%, or 410, of the 79,184 COVID-19 tests results came positive.

     Although, many statistics indicate that COVID is finally winding down, the delta variant that originated in India still lurks, and 340 New Yorkers were hospitalized with the virus on Friday.

     Rochelle Walensky, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said last week that fully vaccinated people are safe from the current COVID variants and do not need to wear masks.

     Unvaccinated Americans, however, remain vulnerable every strain of COVID, and particularly now, the new virulent COVID delta strain, which now comprises 26% of American COVID cases.

     Health experts say that the delta variant could be the dominant COVID strain in the US by fall: especially in parts of the country that have low rates of vaccination. 

     The taming of the “COVID beast,” as the governor has called the virus, is due to the state’s vigorous vaccination program, which so far has administered 21,287,701 doses. 

     Federal data reveals that 72.4% of New Yorkers have received at least one shot, and 65.6% of New Yorkers are fully vaccinated: having gotten both doses.

(Photo By: Darren McGee- Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)