Hudson Region Creeps Closer To Reopening After Outbreak

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The Hudson region is creeping closer to meeting the seven benchmarks for re-opening after the new coronavirus outbreak, according to the state's regional monitoring dashboard.

The region of seven counties has already met five benchmarks.

The number of total hospitalizations has been declining for 30 days; available hospital capacity (empty beds) is at 33 percent, with 50 percent of ICU beds available; average daily diagnostic testing over the past seven days far surpasses the minimum of 30 tests per 1,000 residents per month; and the number of contact tracers is expected to be sufficient for the infection rate.

Two criteria have not yet been met, but the region is closer.

New hospitalizations in the region for COVID-19 is at 2.38 per 100,000 residents, down from 4.74 hospitalizations per 100,000 seven days ago. The goal is fewer than 2 new hospital cases a day per 100,000 residents.

In the past four days, the total number of hospitalizations has dropped to 790 from 850. At the beginning of the outbreak, the number of people hospitalized with the virus went from 493 to 834 in four days.

In addition, the death toll has continued to decline for the past four days. The goal is to have a 14-day decline in daily hospital deaths.

Five regions in the state will start Phase 1 of re-opening Friday. They are: Central New York, the Finger Lakes, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country and the Southern Tier.

Still working toward that goal in addition to the Hudson region are the Capital region, Long Island, New York City and Western New York.

"Everybody wants to reopen, everybody needs a paycheck, the state needs an economy," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at his news briefing. "You have to reopen in a calibrated way. Follow the science, follow the facts."

Thursday was Day 75 of the outbreak in New York, Cuomo said. The number of deaths daily continues its slow decline.

For the region, the total death toll from COVID-19 as of May 13 was 2,276:

• Dutchess: 114
• Orange: 330
• Putnam: 56
• Rockland: 462
• Sullivan: 28
• Ulster: 61
• Westchester: 1,245