New York State reaches record low COVID-19 infection rate, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo says

New York State reached another record low COVID-19 infection rate, while the percentage of positive virus cases on Long Island dipped to 0.5%, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Friday.

Statewide, the infection rate was 0.65% on Thursday, the lowest since the start of the pandemic in early March. Thursday also marked the third consecutive week where New York's rate stayed under 1%, Cuomo said.

"Fighting COVID-19 requires enormous bravery and discipline from New Yorkers and I thank them for today's new record-low infection rate," Cuomo said. "This is evidence that what each of us does to slow the spread — wearing masks, socially distancing and washing hands — makes a real difference."

Cuomo noted that New York reached another milestone Thursday in its battle against the coronavirus, topping 8 million total tests conducted across the state. Of the 97,826 test results reported to the state, 636 were positive, officials said.

The governor said the data "shows that we aren't necessarily finding more positives with more testing, which is a good new development." 

The statewide data showed COVID-19 numbers continuing to move in a positive direction, with hospitalizations down by 12 to 478 and intensive care patients dropping by four to 122.

Three people across the state died from the virus Thursday, including one in Nassau, bringing New York's total to 25,312.

The State Liquor Authority and the State Police Task Force visited 1,322 establishments in New York City and Long Island on Thursday and observed nine businesses failing to comply with state coronavirus mitigation requirements, including four in Staten Island, three in the Bronx, and one each in Brooklyn and Manhattan, according to Cuomo's office.

Robust testing

Nassau reported its highest number of COVID tests conducted on a single day.

County Executive Laura Curran said 9,814 tests were performed Thursday with 53 positive cases — or 0.5% — bringing its total to 44,503. Nassau’s hospitals reported 33 COVID patients, with 13 patients in intensive care and two on ventilators. 

Although Nassau has held the line at 1% positivity or less throughout the summer, Curran said September represented a new challenge with students heading back to school.

States/regions in red are included on New York's travel advisory list as of Oct. 27, 2020. Guam and Puerto Rico, not pictured, are also on the list.

"None of this is easy, but we have no choice but to remain vigilant against a virus that has claimed the life of 2,197 [Nassau] residents and now more than 180,000 fellow Americans," she said. "Let’s keep doing what has saved countless lives and allowed Long Island to reopen safely: wearing a mask and social distancing."

Suffolk on Thursday reported 37 new virus cases from more than 7,000 people tested — also 0.5% — bringing its total to 44,678, state officials said.

To date, more than 635,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Suffolk, said County Executive Steve Bellone as he announced nearly 100 new testing locations across the county Friday. The facilities, Bellone said, will offer free diagnostic testing, antibody testing and rapid testing.

“From Day One, we have prioritized access to testing, especially in our hard hit communities, and as we continue on our path to recovery, Suffolk County now has more testing sites than ever before,” said Bellone.

Resident looking for a testing site near them can visit the State Department of Health website.

“A robust testing program allows us to identify as many positive cases as possible, isolate those individuals and quarantine their close contacts, therefore slowing and containing the spread of COVID-19,” said Suffolk Commissioner of Health Services Dr. Gregson Pigott. 

'Last-minute push' to staff NYC schools

Additional teachers will be brought in so students can have both an in-classroom teacher and a remote teacher by the time New York City public schools reopen in two weeks, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday on his weekly Ask the Mayor appearance on WNYC’s "The Brian Lehrer Show." 

The teachers will be drawn from thousands of substitute teachers, the pool of unassigned teachers and others, he said.

"There’s a last-minute push to align the staffing levels, get the right people in the right places," de Blasio said.

City public schools are set to open Sept 10.

"We are gonna have thousands of additional teachers available, between the [Department of Education] personnel right now, certified teachers who don’t teach in the classroom," de Blasio said. "They’re coaches, administrators, whatever they may be, who will be brought into the classroom.”

Meanwhile, organized youth sports, which were suspended since March, can resume in the city’s public parks beginning Sept. 15, officials said. Baseball, softball and soccer are among the sports to be allowed, with city athletic fields available with issued permits. Indoor swimming and other indoor sports won’t be permitted.

Face coverings will be required for all in attendance, including staff, coaches and players on the sidelines. Players should wear the coverings if possible, the mayor's office said. No post-play congregating on the field will be allowed. 

Teams that accumulate three violations will have their permits revoked.

With Matthew Chayes

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.