Here’s the latest on the coronavirus outbreak in the region:
A Fairfield County, Connecticut, resident transferred to a New York City hospital is the first confirmed patient in both states to have the more contagious South African variant of COVID-19.
On Long Island, the seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate dropped to 4.7% over the weekend. The rest of New York dipped to 3.8%.
Long Island has the 690 infected patients in the ICU, the most of any area outside of New York City. That’s about 80% capacity. However, the statewide hospitalization rate continues to decline at 1,000 ICU patients a week.
Some intensive care units in Connecticut hospitals have approached 90% capacity. That’s despite the seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate in Connecticut continuing to decrease over the last month to 2.9% on Monday.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are at their lowest since early November with nearly 670 infected patients.