Total COVID hospitalizations in New York dropped below 10,000 on Sunday for the first time in 3 weeks, as numbers continued to improve quickly in most every region of the state.
Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said net hospitalizations fell to 9,847, the lowest level since Jan. 2. The rolling seven-day average positivity rate dropped to 10.5%, the lowest level since late December, as just under 20,000 people tested positive Saturday.
Region by region, that seven-day average is falling across the board, though the improvement is much faster in New York City and Long Island than it is upstate.
Thus far, the state's omicron wave is following the predictions of federal health officials. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky had previously said cases in New York could follow the "icepick" pattern that was seen in South Africa, with a rapid spike higher and then a quick drop back to pre-omicron levels.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical advisor, told News 4 earlier this month that he expected the wave to break for this region by the end of the third week of January.
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