Suffolk Reporter

Suffolk County in New York provided an update on COVID-19 statistics on April 2, 2024. According to the CDC, hospital admission rates and the percentage of COVID-19 deaths among all deaths are now the main surveillance metrics.

In terms of hospitalizations, the report for the week ending March 23, 2024, showed that there were 106 new hospital admissions of confirmed COVID-19 patients. There was a 11.6% increase in hospital admissions from the previous week, with a rate of 3.7 hospital admissions per 100,000 people. The COVID-19 hospital admissions level was classified as low.

On April 2, 2024, Suffolk County reported that 40 individuals were hospitalized, with 55% of them being hospitalized due to COVID-19 or complications of the virus. Three new admissions were recorded since the last report, and nine individuals were discharged. Additionally, there were nine patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

It is important to note that hospitals in Suffolk County are no longer reporting data to the New York State Department of Health on weekends or holidays.

Regarding fatalities, as of April 2, 2024, there have been 5,272 deaths in Suffolk County since March 2020, with an increase of 1 since the last report. The annual breakdown of fatalities is as follows:

- 2020: 2,311

- 2021: 1,507

- 2022: 1,015

- 2023: 318

- 2024: 126 to date

In terms of COVID-19 testing, on March 31, 2024, there were 24 new first-time cases reported in Suffolk County, with a rate of 1.6 cases per 100,000 people and an average of 3.5 cases over a 7-day period, including both PCR and antigen tests.

The COVID-19 vaccination and testing information provided by the New York State Department of Health includes offering vaccines to uninsured and underinsured patients through programs like the Vaccines for Children and Vaccines for Adults programs. Individuals with insurance coverage for the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to receive their vaccines at local pharmacies, healthcare providers' offices, or federally qualified health centers.

The data and surveillance on COVID-19 in New York continue to be monitored closely, with efforts in place to provide vaccination clinics and free COVID-19 tests to the community.