Metro

New York state COVID-19 infection rate remains under 1 percent: Gov. Cuomo

New York State has gone four straight weeks with a coronavirus infection rate of under one percent, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday.

There’s even better news for New York City.

The Big Apple’s COVID-19 infection rate on Thursday was 0.7 percent — seven-tenths of one percent — less than the statewide average of 0.92 percent.

Five people in the city died from the killer bug on Thursday — two in Manhattan and one in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.

“Thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers across the state, New York has now gone four straight weeks with an infection rate below one percent,” Cuomo said in a statement.

“Next week, malls in New York City and casinos across the state will be able to open, marking another milestone in our battle against COVID-19. But we cannot become complacent – we must continue to protect our progress. We must all continue to wear masks, social distance, wash our hands and above all, stay New York tough.”

Still, New York City is the only region in the state where restaurants are barred from offering indoor dining, even though it has one of the lowest infection rates in the state. Council Speaker Corey Johnson and others have joined restaurateurs in urging Cuomo to lift the ban on indoor-dining in the city.

The state Health Department reported that 25,348 people have died from COVID-19. But the John Hopkins U. Coronavirus Resource Centers links 32,976 deaths in New York State to the disease.

New York has curbed COVID-19 after it ravaged the state in the early spring, recording more deaths than anywhere in the county. The Empire State now has one of the lowest infection rates.

The Health Department reported 864 new coronavirus cases on Thursday –bringing the statewide total to 437,971.

Authorities are now closely watching college campuses,  which have suffered flare-ups since reopening for the fall semester. Cornell University has reported a cluster of coronavirus cases among its student athletes and SUNY Oneonta cancelled in-person classes and moved to remote learning after 300 students caught the virus.