NEW YORK – The COVID-19 positivity rate across New York State rose to a new record for the fall season as numbers rose in the 29 areas that are part of the high-contagion areas in the United States. state: the highest zone had an average of 7 days just below 10%.
The state’s positivity rate has continued to rise in recent weeks, going from 3.08% on Monday to 3.98% on Saturday, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. While the most recent day reflects the highest positivity rate seen in months, the 7-day average ranks slightly lower, at 3.32%.
The western part of New York reached an average positivity of 6.53% as of Saturday. State data shows that the region has a rate 2% above the second highest region: Finger Lakes.
Eric County, which is in the region and where Buffalo is located, reported the highest number of new cases outside of New York City on Saturday. The county, at this time, has an orange and yellow zone.
“We are entering a challenging period of sustained spread of COVID-19 in this state,” Cuomo said in a news release Saturday. “It is up to you, your neighborhood and your community to stop the spread.”