New York COVID cases jumped 25%, and these regions exceeded 8% positivity. Check by county
ALBANY - New York's COVID-19 cases increased again over the past week, and the disparities among regions grew even wider.
The COVID positivity rates soared above 8% for the first time in months in the Finger Lakes and western New York on a seven-day average, even while rates in New York City hovered around 1%.
Statewide, the positivity rate hit 3.2%, and the rates started to creep up in the Hudson Valley (2.5%), Southern Tier (4.6%) and central New York (5.6%).
Overall, new coronavirus cases leaped 25% in New York in the week ending Sunday, and the state ranked 27th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
Gov. Kathy Hochul warned of the increasing rates. Nationally, COVID cases rose 11.5% for the week.
"As the weather gets colder and the holiday season approaches, friends and family will be spending more time indoors, increasing the risk of transmission and threatening the incredible progress we've made so far," Hochul said in a statement.
"In order to keep our loved ones safe and reduce the spread of both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, I encourage New Yorkers to get vaccinated, wear a mask indoors and remember to wash your hands."
With 5.8% of the country's population, New York had 6.5% of the country's cases in the last week, and it was one of 30 states that had more cases in the latest week than they in the week before.
The increases in some counties were stark.
In the Hudson Valley, Westchester County's COVID cases rose 41% week over week and were up 28% in Dutchess County.
In the Southern Tier, cases were up 30% in Broome County and 11% in Chemung County.
Meanwhile, Monroe County's cases were up 35% and up 32% in Oneida County.
The worst weekly outbreaks were again in counties with lower vaccination rates than many other places in the state. Within New York, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Washington, Orleans and Cattaraugus, where the vaccine rate was about 51%.
But larger counties with higher vaccine rates also had spikes in cases: Erie County, the largest upstate county, had the most new cases over the past week, and Monroe County, the second largest upstate county, had the second most in the state.
Their vaccine rates were about 70%, while it was about 85% in Manhattan.
Still, New York ranked 11th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 76% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate was 68%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows.
Hospitalizations in New York were about 1,900 statewide on Saturday, which is less than last winter's spike, but still slightly more than the same time last year.
More: Vaccine locations in NY for ages 5-11: These 10 mass vaccinations are now open
More: About 50,000 kids ages 5 to 11 got COVID-19 vaccine in NY. What we know (and don't know)
Includes reporting by USA TODAY Network staff writer Mike Stucka.
This article originally appeared on New York State Team: New York COVID cases jumped 25%, and these regions exceeded 8% positivity
