75% Drop In New Positive COVID-19 Cases On Long Island: Hochul

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long Island has seen a sharp drop in the number of new positive COVID-19 cases, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday, as she traveled to the area to discuss plans for infrastructure, wind power, and tax relief for residents.

New York marked a milestone Thursday, with a statewide positivity rate of 9.75 percent, Hochul said — the first time since Dec. 20 that the figure has been below 10 percent. The omicron wave peaked in New York on Jan. 2, when the state recorded a 23 percent positivity rate

Hochul, who began the morning at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury and then, headed to Brookhaven National Laboratory, pointed out that critical COVID-19 research was taking place at BNL.

Addressing the pandemic, Hochul said that the seven-day average of new cases was heading down. Friday's number of new positives, 28,296, was down 90,000 since January 7 — a 66.6 percent drop in two weeks, she said.

"The trend is heading in the right direction," she said. "We have been waiting for this moment," Hochul said. "Finally, we are trending downward, downward, downward."

As of Friday, New York State saw 11,016 people hospitalized, and 154 deaths.

Long Island, Hochul said, has seen a 75 percent drop in new cases, standing at 3,500, down from a peak of 14,000 on Jan. 2. "We've dropped significantly," she said. While the positivity rate on Long Island is still at about 11 percent, higher than the statewide average, it's down dramatically from its high of 27 percent, Hochul said.

Still, she said, the pandemic still needs to be taken seriously. "We're not taking our foot off the pedal," she said.

Hospital admissions have gone down 24 percent on Long Island, she said, with 58 percent admitted for COVID-19, Hochul said.

Vaccinations, boosters, and testing have been key components to handling the uptick, with 73 million tests secured in New York and 16 million out the door, as well as 10 million to schools.

Hochul continued to urge parents to vaccinate their children, especially those in the 5 to 11 age group.

When asked about the "challenge" to her authority after the Massapequa Board of Education's vote to end the mask mandate in all schools effective Feb. 21, following Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's executive order, Hochul said the action had just taken place.

"I'm not a pushover," she said, adding, "Personally, as a parent, I find it phenomenal that apparently, people are willing to play politics with children's lives."

She added that once the state mask mandate lapses, no school district will be expect to follow those protocols. The measure could be lifted before Feb. 21, she said, adding that she is using the element of time to assess the situation.

"One of the best things I look forward to is the day I can say the requirements are suspended and that they did the job they were meant to do and kept New Yorkers safe," Hochul said.

When asked about is the mask or vaccination proof requirement would be suspended on Feb. 1, Hochul thanked the businesses that did the right thing and kept staff and customer safe, and said she'd have an answer on January 31.

When asked about a possible "test to stay" program for kids ages 2 to 5, Hochul said the situation was being analyzed.

Earlier in the morning, Hochul spoke before the Long Island Association, where elected officials including Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and New York State Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio in attendance.

Hochul said on Long Island, people were concerned with three things, pot holes, the Islanders, and property taxes.

Long Island, she said, is a microcosm of the entire state, with a diversity of people, small businesses, wineries, and industries. "You have that whole economy that needs not just to survive, but thrive," she said.

Hochul said a$1 billion allocation in her budget to help eradicate pot holes, including those on the LIE. "We're coming after the pot holes on Long Island. Enough is enough," she said, adding that New Yorkers spend an average of $632 per year due to damage to their vehicles caused by pot holes. "We're going from pot holes to 'not' holes," she said.

Property taxes are "still too high," Hochul said, discussing $2 billion directed toward reducing the property tax burden that's been hitting people hard; the middle class will see tax cuts to the tune of $1.2 billion, as well, she said, with more 6 million taxpayers reaping benefits.

Hochul pledged to help small businesses, farms, and wineries on Long Island as well as a $32.8 billion capital plan for infrastructure, with $9.9 million allocated to pavement along the Long Island Expressway, $14.8 million for paving along Northern Boulevard, $40.7 million in transit operating to Suffolk County, and $103.4 million to Nassau County.

"Infrastructure means making connections," Hochul said.

She also discussed the Long Island Rail Road, pointing out that 2021 was the best on-time percentage record for the railroad since it began, with an on-time rate of 93.3 percent.

Hochul said the Third Track project and the East Side access plans were underway; plans are also in motion to give Penn Station a facelift.

Also on tap is $40 million for MacArthur Airport, Hochul said.

Long Island, she added, is the epicenter of offshore wind development; $500 million has been allocated in the budget for offshore wind and clean energy projects; $9 million has been allocated for Long Island water quality projects, she said.

Hochul also reiterated her commitment to healthcare with a $10 billion investment, including more than $1 billion for health care worker bonuses.

The state is pledged to revitalizing downtowns; Riverhead and Amityville both won $10 million grants recently, Hochul said. "You can really change a community with that kind of money," she said.

As for a $31 billion in state aid to schools, New York's highest ever, Hochul said Long Islanders would see $4 billion in state aid for local education on Long Island, an increase of 12 percent.

Hochul also said there is a focus on affordable housing and transit-oriented communities in areas such as Wyandanch, so people can live and work right in those areas. "That's how we build back Long Island," she said.

This article originally appeared on the Southampton Patch