New York’s COVID positive-test rate falls to lowest level since pandemic started

File photo of a COVID-19 testing site at the Walmart parking lot in East Syracuse last year. (Photo credit: zoeyadvertising.com)

ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Friday reported that New York state’s daily positivity rate for COVID-19 tests fell to 0.59 percent in the last day, the lowest mark since the pandemic began nearly 15 months ago.

The governor said that 937 people tested positive out of 159,504 total tests in the latest day. The previous record-low positivity rate in New York was 0.65 percent last Aug. 27.

The state’s current 7-day average positive-test rate is down to 0.76 percent. It has declined for 53 straight days.

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The regional 7-day average positivity rates are as follows: Central New York 1.48 percent; Mohawk Valley 0.94 percent; North Country 1.05 percent; and Southern Tier 0.54 percent.

Eleven people died from COVID-19 statewide in the last day (none locally), and the number of people in the state hospitalized with the illness fell by 54 to 1,169.

Adam Rombel: