NYS Coronavirus Update: Excelsior Pass Is Launched -- New Partnership with SOMOS Community Care

- As we continue to move vaccination forward we also need to revitalize New York's economy and make sure we reopen safely. To that end, today we launched Excelsior Pass, a free and voluntary platform for businesses & individuals that can be used to easily access secure proof of a recent negative COVID test or vaccination. The question of "public health or the economy" has always been a false choice—the answer must always be both. As more New Yorkers get vaccinated each day and as key public health metrics continue to regularly reach their lowest rates in months, the first-in-the-nation Excelsior Pass will assist as the next step in our fact-driven, science-based reopening. Learn more and have your testing and vaccination information in an easy-to-carry and share digital form.

We're also wishing our Jewish brothers & sisters a safe and happy Passover this weekend. Chag Sameach, New York—and celebrate safely.

1. COVID hospitalizations rose slightly to 4,603. Of the 282,449 tests reported yesterday, 8,507, or 3.01 percent, were positive. The 7-day average percent positivity is 3.37 percent. There were 913 patients in ICU yesterday, down 18 from the previous day. Of them, 558 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 49 New Yorkers to the virus.

2. As of 11am this morning, 28.2 percent of New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 239,288 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 8,471,160 total doses with 15.2 percent of New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See data by region and county on the State's Vaccine Tracker: ny.gov/vaccinetracker.

3. The State is partnering with SOMOS to vaccinate underserved communities at community medical practices. In partnership with SOMOS Community Care, the State will provide COVID-19 vaccines directly to accredited primary care physicians in SOMOS' health network who will vaccinate underserved New Yorkers. The program will initially cover 75 practices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, and will scale up to 100 practices as supply allows. The program will launch in the coming weeks and New Yorkers will be able to make appointments directly through SOMOS. New York is committed to breaking down barriers to vaccine access for all.

4. In the third round of the program, Nourish NY has so far spent $3.5 million to help New Yorkers in need. So far, over 2 million pounds of raw milk has been turned into dairy products and distributed by food banks, along with 924,000 pounds of produce. Over two million households in need have received products sources from New York farms.

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