COVID-19 Cases Up In The Hudson Valley As Central NY's Surge Slows

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The surge of COVID-19 cases that began in the Finger Lakes in early April has spread to the Hudson Valley even as it declines in central New York.

The region had 45.24 cases per 100,000 residents as of Sunday, state officials said. That's up from 25.94 cases per 100,000 residents as of April 13 and almost four times the number of cases at the end of March.

The state health department issued a public health warning about the upstate surge on April 13, announcing the emergence of two omicron subvariants, BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1. The subvariants have been estimated to have a 23- to 27 percent growth advantage above the original BA.2 variant. At first the spike was confined to central New York and the Finger Lakes, but officials said they expected the subvariants would spread.

Dutchess, Orange and Putnam counties had the highest increases in the past month, according to state data as of Sunday:

• Dutchess more than doubled to 39.2 cases per 100K up from 16.6 per 100,000 April 13.
• Orange doubled from 22.8 to 44.2 cases per 100,000 residents a month ago.
• Putnam doubled its cases: 46.8 cases per 100K, up from 22.1 as of last month
• Rockland: 45.7 per 100,000 residents, up from 24.1
• Ulster: 43.6 cases per 100K, up from 24.4
• Westchester: 48 cases per 100,000 residents, up from 31.1

The COVID-19 hospitalization rate in the Hudson Valley, which had bottomed out at the end of the winter surge in late March, has also been rising since then:

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of people admitted to hospital with COVID-19 in Hudson Valley counties in the seven days ending May 6 was:

• Dutchess: 34
• Orange: 35
• Putnam: 11
• Rockland: 22
• Ulster: 20
• Westchester: 111

The coronavirus pandemic, which has caused nearly 1 million deaths in the United States since early 2020, continues most strongly this spring in New York and New England.

"As we continue to monitor the numbers, I encourage New Yorkers to keep using the tools to protect against, treat and prevent serious illness from COVID-19," Gov. Hochul said in her coronavirus briefing Monday. "Get your vaccine, your second dose, or your booster when you're eligible and get your children fully vaccinated. Get vaccinated before traveling and seeing vulnerable loved ones and if you test positive, ask your doctor about possible treatments. We will continue to make sure these tools are available to all New Yorkers so we can keep moving forward safely through this pandemic."