Coronavirus: More than 1,000 New Yorkers test positive in a day for first time since June
Neighbourhoods in Brooklyn, Queens see an alarming rise in Covid-19 cases
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Your support makes all the difference.More than 1,000 New Yorkers have tested positive for Covid-19 in a single day on Friday.
It was the first time since 5 June that the state has reported a daily case number that high.
Positive cases in the state have been rising steadily over the last few weeks, according to ABC7. The rise may be attributed to the reopening of businesses and schools.
The state was seeing an average of approximately 660 people test positive each day. The state reported it had averaged 817 positive tests per day in the seven-day period that ended Friday.
On Saturday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced there were 1,005 positive cases out of nearly 100,000 tests on the previous day.
Mr Cuomo called for continued practice of virus-mitigation guidelines.
"It's vital that New Yorkers continue to practice the basic behaviors that drive our ability to fight COVID-19 as we move into the fall and flu season," Mr Cuomo said. "Wearing masks, socially distancing and washing hands make a critical difference, as does the deliberate enforcement of state guidance by local governments."
According to Gareth Rhodes, a member of Mr Cuomo's Covid-19 Response Task Force, the overall per cent positive cases is actually far lower than in the early months of the pandemic.
He pointed out that the latest numbers were judged against 100,000 tests. In June, the numbers were compared to 60,000 tests.
“Is there cause for concern? As long as COVID is here, yes,” Mr Rhodes wrote on Twitter. "Key is ensuring these clusters don’t spread into neighboring/other ZIPs.”
He also said that the increase was lower in college-aged individuals, who made up only 16 per cent of all positive cases on Friday.
Certain neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens where private religious schools reopened for in-person schooling in early September have seen rising numbers.
New York health officials have warned that continued growth in Covid-19 cases in these neighborhoods could trigger severe restrictions on public gatherings.
The rising numbers comes as Mr Cuomo announced he would form a committee to review and distribute any coronavirus vaccines developed under the Trump administration.
“I’m appointing a committee today that is going to come up with a vaccine distribution and implementation plan on how we will do it,” Mr Cuomo said.
Mr Trump criticised the move.
“I think you put the people of New York at great risk, and he’s done that if you look at the nursing homes, 11,000 people died needlessly," Mr Trump said. "So when you look at that, it’s very sad.”
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