Jul 23, 2021
- The effect of the Delta variant is being felt across the country, including here in New York, where new cases and the positivity rate have ticked up over the last several weeks. Largely, the COVID-19 pandemic is a "pandemic of the unvaccinated," in the words of the CDC Director. Nearly all COVID deaths are unvaccinated individuals. If you're already vaccinated, please talk to your unvaccinated friends or family about the dangers of the Delta variant and the importance in getting vaccinated before it's too late. Anyone with questions or concerns about the vaccines should talk to their doctor. The best way to take full advantage of all that summer in New York has to offer is to get vaccinated.
Photo of the Day: Reminder that masks are required on public transit even if you're vaccinated.
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
1. COVID hospitalizations are at 483. Of the 93,174 tests reported yesterday, 1,584, or 1.70 percent, were positive. The 7-day positivity average was 1.50 percent. There were 105 patients in ICU yesterday, up five from the previous day. Of them, 34 are intubated. Sadly, we lost two New Yorkers to the virus.
2. As of 11am this morning, 74.1 percent of adult New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose, per the CDC. Over the past 24 hours, 29.397 total doses have been administered. To date, New York has administered 21,911,089 total doses with 67.6 percent of adult New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See additional data on the State's Vaccine Tracker.
3. Applications for the New York State Public Health Corps Fellowship Program are now open. This first-in-the-nation program, in partnership with Cornell University, will train up to 1,000 fellows as the next generation of public health workers—helping NY be prepared for the next public health crisis. Apply to be a fellow today.
4. Four mass vaccination sites will cease operations as of Monday, July 26. The mass vaccination sites at Binghamton University at Gannett Drive, Aviation Mall in Queensbury, Stony Brook Southampton, and the Diana Center at SUNY Orange will cease operations so the State can allocate resources on localized vaccination efforts.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": Instead of using herbicides to manage foliage, landscapers in New York City turned to a more agriculturally sustainable method—goats. Last week, two dozen goats were herded into Manhattan's Riverside Park for the second "Running of the Goats." The goats indulged in a feast of various unwanted vegetation throughout the park, saving landscapers hours of labor. They will continue their diligent landscaping at the park until August 24.
Ever Upward,
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo