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GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL REOPENING GUIDANCE & UPDATES NEW YORKERS ON STATE'S PROGRESS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Published on April 28, 2021
For Immediate Release: 4/26/2021GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO

GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL REOPENING GUIDANCE AND UPDATES NEW YORKERS ON STATE'S PROGRESS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Large-Scale Outdoor Event Venues Can Increase Spectator Capacity from 20% to 33% Beginning May 19

Casinos and Gaming Facilities Can Increase Capacity from 25% to 50% Beginning May 15

Offices Can Increase Capacity from 50% to 75% Beginning May 15

Gyms/Fitness Centers Outside of New York City Can Increase Capacity from 33% to 50% Beginning May 15

Social Distancing, Masks, Health Screenings and All Other State Health/Safety Protocols Remain in Effect

Statewide Positivity Rate is 2.39%; 7-Day Average Positivity is 2.13%, Lowest Since November 8

3,174 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide; Lowest Since November 26; Down 609 Over the Last Week

729 Patients in the ICU; Lowest Since November 30

454 Intubated; Lowest Since December 4

41 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that spectator capacity at large-scale outdoor event venues, including professional and collegiate sports and live performing arts and entertainment, will increase from 20 to 33 percent beginning May 19. This increase will coincide with the previously announced increase in large-scale indoor event venue capacity. Social distancing, masks, health screenings and all other State health and safety protocols remain in effect.

The Governor also announced that capacities would be increased throughout several industries that have proven to safely reopen in accordance with the State's COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, starting May 15:

  • Gyms and fitness centers outside of New York City will increase from 33% to 50% capacity.
  • Casinos and gaming facilities will increase from 25% to 50% capacity.
  • Offices will increase from 50% to 75% capacity. 

"We are making tremendous progress in the fight against COVID-19 - our vaccination rates are going up and the positivity and hospitalization rates are going down, so now we are going to open the valves of our economy even further," Governor Cuomo said. "We are increasing the capacity limits throughout several industries, including gyms outside of New York City, casinos, offices and large-scale outdoor event venues. This is all great news, but we are not out of the woods yet. Washing hands, wearing masks and staying socially distanced are critical tools each of us can use to slow the spread as we continue our efforts to defeat COVID once and for all."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

  • Test Results Reported - 126,953
  • Total Positive - 3,039
  • Percent Positive - 2.39%
  • 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.13%
  • Patient Hospitalization - 3,174 (-24)
  • Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -609
  • Patients Newly Admitted - 306
  • Hospital Counties - 54
  • Number ICU - 729 (-13)
  • Number ICU with Intubation - 454 (-6)
  • Total Discharges - 174,087 (+312)
  • Deaths - 41
  • Total Deaths - 41,849

The regional hospital bed capacity and occupancy numbers, including the number of hospitalizations as a percent of the region's population, is as follows:

RegionCOVID Patients Currently in Hospital in RegionCOVID Patients as Percent of Region PopulationPercent of Hospital Beds Available Within 7 Days Under Surge Plan
Capital Region940.01%30%
Central New York620.01%31%
Finger Lakes2100.02%40%
Long Island4760.02%35%
Mid-Hudson3150.01%45%
Mohawk Valley480.01%39%
New York City15450.02%32%
North Country250.01%56%
Southern Tier860.01%49%
Western New York3130.02%31%
Statewide31740.02%35%

The regional ICU bed capacity and occupancy numbers are as follows:

RegionTotal ICU Beds in RegionTotal Occupied ICU Beds in RegionPercent of ICU Beds Available in Region (7-day Avg)
Capital Region232194 17%
Central New York262171 30%
Finger Lakes397207 43%
Long Island848610 26%
Mid-Hudson672385 42%
Mohawk Valley9781 18%
New York City2,5561,895 23%
North Country5532 40%
Southern Tier12764 47%
Western New York545362 33%
Statewide5,7914,001 28%

Each region's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

REGIONFRIDAYSATURDAYSUNDAY
Capital Region1.73%1.58%1.66%
Central New York1.34%1.35%1.28%
Finger Lakes2.72%2.78%2.75%
Long Island2.42%2.36%2.27%
Mid-Hudson2.61%2.52%2.47%
Mohawk Valley1.41%1.46%1.45%
New York City2.42%2.30%2.21%
North Country1.35%1.37%1.38%
Southern Tier0.83%0.82%0.82%
Western New York3.75%3.66%3.53%
Statewide2.27%2.19%2.13%

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

BOROUGHFRIDAYSATURDAYSUNDAY
Bronx2.51%2.38%2.11%
Brooklyn2.86%2.75%2.45%
Manhattan1.44%1.34%1.15%
Queens2.76%2.60%2.34%
Staten Island3.38%3.13%2.74%

Of the 2,018,703 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

CountyTotal PositiveNew Positive
Albany24,00933
Allegany3,2486
Broome17,78729
Cattaraugus5,28111
Cayuga5,97513
Chautauqua8,5365
Chemung7,29617
Chenango3,2196
Clinton4,65412
Columbia3,8672
Cortland3,6012
Delaware2,2373
Dutchess28,44149
Erie85,081215
Essex1,5152
Franklin2,4434
Fulton4,1774
Genesee5,1564
Greene3,2054
Hamilton3031
Herkimer4,9652
Jefferson5,5495
Lewis2,5073
Livingston4,11417
Madison4,3565
Monroe62,911183
Montgomery4,01824
Nassau179,572222
Niagara18,81646
NYC907,6071,343
Oneida21,70116
Onondaga36,68946
Ontario7,02916
Orange46,89274
Orleans2,8696
Oswego7,1118
Otsego3,2727
Putnam10,37412
Rensselaer10,84623
Rockland46,11330
Saratoga14,65722
Schenectady12,59823
Schoharie1,5852
Schuyler1,0061
Seneca1,9060
St. Lawrence6,30410
Steuben6,45819
Suffolk196,101237
Sullivan6,33212
Tioga3,52610
Tompkins4,1152
Ulster13,35936
Warren3,4584
Washington2,9243
Wayne5,38710
Westchester127,179133
Wyoming3,3393
Yates1,1272

Yesterday, 41 New Yorkers died due to COVID-19 in New York State, bringing the total to 41,849. A geographic breakdown is as follows, by county of residence:

Deaths by County of Residence
CountyNew Deaths
Allegany1
Bronx3
Cattaraugus1
Cayuga1
Dutchess1
Erie3
Kings4
Manhattan4
Monroe2
Montgomery1
Nassau5
Niagara1
Orange1
Queens7
Steuben1
Suffolk3
Ulster1
Westchester1

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Additional news available at www.governor.ny.gov
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