NYC COVID numbers continue to climb, hit levels not seen since May
The number of people in New York City testing positive for COVID in a day hit it’s highest tallies since May, according to statistics released by the city and state Friday.
As of Thursday, state statistics show that 2,558 city residents tested positive for the disease. The last time the city hit that mark was on May 2 when the number of positive cases totaled 2,559.
The city’s measure of people testing positive in a day is far lower than the state’s because the city excludes rapid testing, which it views as less reliable.
But the city’s most recent data also shows the daily number of new cases are reaching levels New Yorkers haven’t seen since the spring.
On Thursday, the city recorded 1,522 new COVID cases, according to Mayor de Blasio. The last time the city recorded that many cases was May 4, when the number hit 1,552.
And with people returning to the city after traveling for the holidays, some predict those numbers will only continue to grow in the coming weeks.
“The real increase will come next week,” said City Councilman Mark Levine (D-Manhattan), who heads that body’s Health Committee. “This is a sober reminder that cases were increasing before the holidays and that we can see an additional jump in the next week or two.”
