Just 1 County In NY Remains At High Risk For COVID-19

LONG ISLAND, NY — Only one county in New York State remains at high risk for COVID-19 community transmission — and it's Nassau County, on Long Island.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday, Nassau County remains the only county of the 62 in New York State with a "high" COVID-19 community level risk. The other counties range from medium to low; Suffolk County's designation, which had been reported as high in May, was medium on Monday.

Residents in counties with a high risk of transmission are urged by the CDC to mask up in all indoor locations.

CDC data indicates that Nassau Counties case rate per 100,000 population Monday was 244.3. New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population was 12.4, and 5 percent of staffed inpatients bed were in use by confirmed COVID-19 patients, data said.

The news came as Nassau County's Health Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Einstein resigned to pursue opportunitiesin the private sector, Long Island Business News reported.

According to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, there will not be an interim. "Dr. Larry’s last day is at the end of July," he said.

Also, Blakeman gave a statement on the county's high-risk designation: “Nassau County is open for business and back to normal. We want to welcome everybody back to our museums, concerts, shopping, restaurants and more."

While New York State is closing the vaccination site at Old Westbury, he said, "I am directing resources to mental health, substance abuse and economic recovery so that all those hurt by COVID have the help they need.”

COVID-19 is on the decline statewide: According to a report by NBCNewYork, just a month ago, all counties in New York except for eight were designated high risk.

In May, New York's number of new COVID-19 cases crept upward, with positivity rates up more than 50 percent in 30 days.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said on Friday that the state's 7-day positivity rate stood at 4.68 percent, a significant decrease from last month: On Long Island, the positivity rate stood at 8.69 percent on May 6, compared to 3.13 percent on April 5.

On Friday, Long Island's positivity rate was the highest statewide, at 7.69 percent, with the next highest being the Capital Region at 6.35 percent, and the lowest being New York City at 4.12 percent.

Reported case totals provided by state officials don't include results from at-home test kits, which aren't reported. While the rise in at-home testing has made it easier for many to see if they're positive for the virus, some experts believe the testing at home has led to an undercount of cases.

With vaccinations for babies and toddlers under 5 recently given the green light in New York State, Hochul said parents needed to move to get shots in arms for their younger children.

"It is critically important that we maintain our vigilance and make use of the tools we available to us to move forward safely through this pandemic," Hochul said. "Getting vaccinated is still the most effective way to protect you and your loved ones from serious illness, so make sure you are up to date on your doses. The vaccine is safe and widely available. If you are a parent or caregiver to a child under five, talk to your pediatrician about vaccination options."

To view CDC data on community level spread risk statewide, click here.