Suffolk Reporter

Suffolk County's latest COVID-19 update on April 8, 2024, highlighted a shift in surveillance metrics, with hospital admission rates and the percentage of COVID-19 deaths among all deaths now being emphasized, according to the CDC.

The report indicated that there were 94 new hospital admissions of confirmed COVID-19 patients for the week ending March 30, 2024, with a -11.3% percent change from the prior week. The hospital admissions per 100k in the past week were reported at 3.3, categorizing the COVID-19 hospital admissions level as low.

On April 8, 2024, Suffolk County provided a daily hospitalization summary, revealing that 37 individuals were hospitalized, with 76% of them being there due to COVID-19 or complications of the virus. Among the hospitalized individuals, 15 were new admissions since the last report, and 11 had been discharged. Additionally, there were 7 patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

Notably, the report mentioned that hospitals are no longer reporting data to NYSDOH on weekends or holidays, impacting the availability of real-time information on these days.

In terms of fatalities, there have been 5,275 fatalities in Suffolk County since March 2020, with an increase of 1 reported since the last update. The annual breakdown of fatalities from 2020 to 2024 indicated a decreasing trend, with 129 fatalities reported in 2024 to date.

On the COVID-19 testing front, 43 new first-time cases were reported on April 6, 2024, with 2.8 cases per 100k and a 3.2 on a 7-day average, which includes reported PCR and antigen tests.

Suffolk County's efforts to combat the pandemic also include providing vaccination information and clinics for uninsured and underinsured patients through New York State's Vaccines for Children program and Vaccines for Adults program. Those with insurance covering the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to get vaccinated at local pharmacies, healthcare providers' offices, or federally qualified health centers.

The COVID-19 update from Suffolk County reflects the ongoing efforts to monitor and manage the impact of the virus on the community, with a focus on key surveillance metrics and vaccination initiatives.