COVID Cases Decline Significantly in New York and in Most States Nationwide

     The number of recorded COVID cases per day are finally declining substantially and going in the right direction, reported Johns Hopkins University, which said that with 93,814 new coronavirus cases per day, the US is now reporting the lowest seven-day average since August 3.

     Although the significant nationwide drop in COVID cases is good news, Anthony Fauci, MD, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned yesterday on CNN that with only 56% of the US population fully vaccinated, the recent decline in cases could easily turn into another surge upwards.

    "That [number of 93,814 cases] is still way too high," said Dr. Fauci, who added that he would prefer to see fewer than 10,000 cases per day.

     Nationwide, the number of patients who are hospitalized with COVID has dropped to 7,400, and 1,400 COVID patients are still dying per day.

     “And hopefully [the COVID numbers are] going to continue to go in that trajectory downward," said the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. "We have to just be careful that we don't prematurely declare victory. In many respects, we still have around 68 million people who are eligible to be vaccinated that have not yet gotten vaccinated.”

     Although COVID rates are increasing in Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, in New York, where 84.9% of the state’s residents 18 and older have received at least one vaccination shot, older and vulnerable residents are already getting booster shots, and vaccination mandates and incentives, COVID rates continue to decrease.

     “I held firm on a nation-leading health care worker vaccine mandate to keep patients safe,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul. “And I invested $65 million to ensure the wide availability of COVID-19 booster shots for older and vulnerable New Yorkers.

     “As a result of our efforts, the percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) as of Oct. 7 was up to 84.9%, compared to 78.7% on the day I was sworn in.”

(Photo by: Philip Kamrass/ Office of Formor Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)