Governor Cuomo Calls on the Federal Government to Take Action in Wake of Highly Contagious Variant of COVID-19 Virus Circulating in the United Kingdom

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today called on the federal government to take action in the wake of a new, highly contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus circulating in the United Kingdom. Several European countries have already imposed new restrictions on individuals traveling from the United Kingdom, including banning travelers and mandatory testing measures, yet the United States has taken no action in response. The Governor called on the federal government to consider multiple restrictions in the wake of the new variant of COVID-19, including imposing mandatory testing of individuals traveling from the United Kingdom on flights to the United States, as well as a new travel ban from Europe. The actions being recommended by the Governor today take into account lessons learned from March, when the federal government was late to impose a European travel ban allowing the virus to spread uncontrollably throughout New York State and the country.

"There is a disturbing story coming out of the United Kingdom of a highly contagious new variant of the COVID-19 virus. A number of countries have banned people from the UK, and 120 countries demand that before you get on a flight in the UK to come to their country, you have to have tested negative. The United States has a number of flights coming in from the UK each day and we have done absolutely nothing. To me, this is reprehensible because this is what happened in the spring," Governor Cuomo said. "How many times in life do you have to make the same mistake before you learn? The federal government is being grossly negligent just like the spring, and every day they do nothing on this problem, they do something. It's high time the federal government takes swift action, because today that variant is getting on a plane and landing in JFK, and all it takes is one person."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 197,251
• Tested Positive - 9,957
• Percent Positive - 5.05%
• Patient Hospitalization - 6,185 (-23)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 822
• Hospital Counties - 55
• Number ICU - 1,045 (-43)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 600 (-10)
• Total Discharges - 95,307 (+728)
• Deaths - 123
• Total Deaths - 28,598

The regional hospital bed capacity and occupancy numbers, including the number of hospitalizations as a percent of the region's population, is as follows:

The regional ICU bed capacity and occupancy numbers are as follows:

Yesterday, 197,251 test results were reported to New York State, and 5.05 percent were positive. Each region's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

Of the 848,042 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

Yesterday, 123 New Yorkers died due to COVID-19 in New York State, bringing the total to 28,598. A geographic breakdown is as follows, by county of residence: