Suffolk Reporter

On May 9, 2024, Suffolk County reported the latest updates related to COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospital admission rates and the percentage of COVID-19 deaths among all deaths are now the primary surveillance metrics.

For the week ending April 27, 2024, there were 52 new hospital admissions of confirmed COVID-19 patients. This represents a decrease of 17.5% from the previous week. The rate of hospital admissions per 100k was reported at 1.8, categorizing the level of COVID-19 hospital admissions as low.

On May 9, Suffolk County's daily hospitalization summary indicated that out of the total hospitalized individuals, 44% were due to COVID-19 or its complications. Five new admissions and five discharges were reported since the last update. One patient was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It is important to note that hospitals no longer report data to NYSDOH on weekends or holidays.

The number of fatalities since March 2020 has reached a total of 5,284, with an increase of one since the last report. The annual breakdown is as follows:

2020: 2,311

2021: 1,507

2022: 1,015

2023: 318

2024: 138 to date

As for testing data on May 6, there were reportedly 64 cases at a rate of about four cases per every hundred thousand residents. This includes both first infections and reinfections as positive results represent all positive tests reported to New York State since September 1, 2023.

The department continues to offer COVID vaccines to uninsured and underinsured patients through New York State's Vaccines for Children program and Vaccines for Adults program - also known as the Bridge Access Program. Those with insurance that covers the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to receive their vaccines at local pharmacies, healthcare providers' offices, or local federally qualified health centers.