WATCH LIVE: Gov. Hochul updates New Yorkers on COVID-19

Editor’s note: This press conference will be live streamed on this page at 10 a.m. EST.

UPTON, N.Y. (WROC) — Gov. Kathy Hochul is scheduled to host a COVID-19 briefing Friday morning to update New Yorkers on the state’s ongoing pandemic response efforts.

The governor is set to speak after touring the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York.

Last week the governor said New York was “turning a corner” on the omicron surge and Thursday she reported that new COVID-19 cases were down 47% statewide over the past week.

Additionally, the governor reported that seven-day average of new COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide were down 20.5% Thursday compared to last week. Furthermore, the governor said Thursday that the seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 residents is now declining in all regions throughout the state.

“Even as the rate of new cases continues to move in a promising direction we must remain vigilant against the winter surge,” Gov. Hochul said in a Thursday statement. “While we are prepared to deal with whatever comes our way using the tools we know are effective, it will take a concerted effort on the part of every New Yorker to beat this pandemic. Continue to encourage all your friends and loved ones to get the vaccine if they haven’t already, get the booster dose, and wear a mask until we finally get through this.”

The governor has not yet announced it the state will extend the mask or vax mandate, which is set to expire on February 1. That policy said masks are required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement.

This measure was put into effect on December 13, 2021 until January 15, 2022, but then extended through February 1. The new business and venue requirements extend to both patrons and staff.

A violation of any provision of this measure is subject to all civil and criminal penalties, including a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation. According to the governor, the respective business would face the fine for a violation, not an individual for not wearing a mask.

Thursday’s statewide coronavirus data, according to the governor, is summarized briefly below:     

• Test Results Reported – 277,241  
• Total Positive – 30,631
• Percent Positive – 11.05%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 13.30%   
• Patient Hospitalization – 11,370 (-457)   
• Patients Newly Admitted – 1,432  
• Patients in ICU – 1,583 (-34)   
• Patients in ICU with Intubation – 885 (-35)   
• Total Discharges – 259,367 (1,628)   
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 185
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 51,373
  • The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.     
• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC – 63,980   
  • This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.     
• Total vaccine doses administered – 35,247,747
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 87,854
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 535,312
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose – 90.4%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 81.4%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 95.0%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 84.0%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 79.6%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 71.1%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 86.6%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 73.3%   

Each region’s 7-day average of cases per 100K population is as follows    

Each region’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

Check back with News 8 WROC as we will continue to update this developing story.