Seven million coronavirus diagnostic tests have now been administered across New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday, as the state marked a ninth consecutive day with a positivity rate below 1 percent.
“Our numbers reflect the hard work of New Yorkers, and as other states across the nation see surging cases, our numbers remain steadily low,” said Cuomo in a statement.
That success includes a 0.78 percent positivity rate among the 77,692 test results returned on Saturday, a ninth straight day below the 1-percent mark.
The positivity rate in New York City was slightly higher than the state average, at 0.9 percent.
Nevertheless, Cuomo said the raw testing numbers and steadily low number of new diagnoses “are remarkable accomplishments that New Yorkers should be proud of.”
The 607 new cases detected on Saturday raises the overall number of diagnoses throughout the pandemic to 425,508.
And while the big-picture numbers continue to trend in the right direction, another six New Yorkers lost their battle to the bug on Saturday, raising the statewide death toll to 25,250.
“We must not become complacent and risk slipping backwards,” said Cuomo. “Everyone must remember to wear their masks, socially distance, wash their hands regularly, and stay New York Tough.”
To that end, state authorities paid visits to 1,170 restaurants and bars across the five boroughs plus Long Island on Saturday to ensure that they were abiding by rules put in place to vanquish the virus.
Thirty-three joints were found to be flouting regulations and issued violations: Nine in Manhattan; eight a piece in Brooklyn and Nassau County; five in The Bronx; and three in Queens.