New York’s progress in combating the coronavirus pandemic has stalled in recent weeks, leaving the state with the highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate and second-highest infection rate in the U.S.
The number of newly diagnosed cases per day has been virtually flat since mid-February at just under 40 per 100,000 residents, which is roughly double the national average and second only to New Jersey.
New York’s hospitalizations have been declining, but more slowly than in the country as a whole. Its rate as of March 7 was 246 per million, which was also double the national average.
The state’s current death rate of .48 per 100,000 is roughly in line with the U.S. norm, and is going down. Because mortality is a lagging indicator, that trend is likely to level off if current patterns don’t change.
New York returned to being a national hotspot during the winter wave, when its infection rate increased faster, peaked later and dropped more slowly than that of the country as a whole.
The infection rate declined sharply after the New Year, but leveled off in mid-February. The reasons are unclear, but could include an erosion of compliance with social distancing rules or the advent of coronavirus variants that are more infectious.
Around the same time New York’s progress stalled, Governor Cuomo was hit with a series of scandals over his handling of nursing home data and allegations of bullying behavior and sexual harassment.
Cuomo’s briefings on the pandemic, which have been less frequent, have accentuated positive news. He has not highlighted New York’s worst-in-the-nation hospitalization rate, and he has continued rolling back coronavirus-related restrictions, albeit more slowly than in some other states.
New York’s high infection rate might in part reflect its higher level of testing, which would identify more mild or asymptomatic cases. That would not affect its hospitalization rate, which is back to its level of mid-May 2020.
In another echo of last spring, the pandemic is once again most severe in the New York City area, including Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley.
About the Author
You may also like
How Washington’s Budget Bill Will Affect Health Care in New York
UPDATE: The final version of the federal budget bill omitted a handful of provisions that had been included in earlier drafts. One would have penalized states that use their own money to provide coverage for undocumente Read More
Even With Federal Cuts, New York’s Health Funding Would Remain High
New York's health-care industry stands to lose billions of dollars in federal funding under the major budget bill being debated in Washington – a rare and jarring turn of events for a sector accustomed to steadily increas Read More
As Albany’s Session Ends, Watch for Rising Health Costs
Every session of the state Legislature brings a fresh crop of proposals that would drive up health-care costs, and 2025 is no exception.
Here is a sampling of pending bills that, if Read More
House Budget Would Burst New York’s Essential Plan Bubble
The extraordinary cash bonanza associated with New York's Essential Plan – which has generated billions more than state officials were able to spend – would come to a crashing end under the budget bill advancing in Cong Read More
The House GOP’s Shrinking Budget Plan Could Still Cost New York Billions
The likely impact of federal health-care cutbacks has diminished in recent days as House Republican leaders backed away from some of their bigger-ticket proposals, reducing the estimated savings to $625 billion from previous figures of $715 billion and $8 Read More
How Medicaid ‘Expansion’ Changes Could Affect New York
As House Republicans consider cutbacks to federal Medicaid funding, their focus has turned to the so-called expansion population.
Although the details of remain undetermined, the s Read More
New York’s Home Health Workforce Jumps by Another 10 Percent
New York's home health employment is continuing to soar, growing by 57,000 jobs or 10 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Read More
Immigrant Enrollment in ‘Emergency Medicaid’ Surges to 480,000
One of the biggest drivers of New York's Medicaid enrollment growth over the past decade has been "emergency Medicaid" for undocumented immigrants, newly released state records show.
Read More