STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Over the past 24 hours, the city Health Department has recorded 46 more cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Staten Island, while the number of hospitalizations in the borough decreased by two.
As of 1 p.m. Thursday, there have been 15,236 confirmed coronavirus cases reported in the borough since the pandemic’s outbreak about six months ago, according to the most recent data available.
There had been 15,190 cases recorded at the same time on Wednesday.
A Health Department source said the figures reflect totals as of when they are reported to the agency and not when infections and death occur. There can be a lag in reporting the information.
All data is preliminary and subject to change.
Also, on Thursday afternoon the Health Department revised Staten Island’s coronavirus-related death total.
The fatalities include 901 borough residents with confirmed coronavirus cases, a downward adjustment of one from Wednesday’s reported total of 902.
In the past, a Health Department spokesperson explained changes in daily death totals or case counts are due to data updates such as removing duplicates or revising infected individuals' or decedents' addresses.
In addition to the confirmed deaths, 183 fatalities were in the “probable” category. That number has remained unchanged for about three weeks.
A death is classified as “probable” if the decedent was a city resident who had no known positive laboratory test for the coronavirus, but the death certificate lists “COVID-19” or an equivalent as a cause of death.
Per the revised data, the total number of borough residents believed to have succumbed to the coronavirus is 1,084 as of Thursday afternoon.
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Citywide, there were 232,710 confirmed coronavirus cases reported at 1 p.m. Thursday.
That figure represented a jump of 478 from Wednesday’s total of 232,232.
Across the five boroughs, the suspected death total remained the same -- 23,741 -- on Wednesday and Thursday.
The fatalities consist of 19,099 individuals who were confirmed coronavirus cases, an increase of one from Wednesday to Thursday.
There also were 4,642 others whose deaths were deemed as “probable” COVID-19 cases.
Thursday’s “probable” deaths were one less than Wednesday’s listed total of 4,643.
Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus patients hospitalized in the borough dipped by two.
On Thursday morning, 13 patients were being cared for. There had been 15 patients on Wednesday.
By contrast, near the height of the pandemic five months ago on April 8, that number had skyrocketed to 554.
Staten Island University Hospital was caring for eight patients on Thursday, down one from the previous day, said spokeswoman Jillian O’Hara.
Five patients were being treated at Richmond University Medical Center, said spokesman Alex Lutz. That figure also marked a decrease of one from Wednesday’s total.
With respect to testing, the data show 3,200 of every 100,000 Staten Islanders checked have received positive results for the coronavirus, according to 2018 Census data projections and the Health Department’s Thursday afternoon tally.
Staten Island’s infection rate remains the second highest among the five boroughs.
Officials, however, stress the examinations do not necessarily reflect the full spread of the virus.
The Bronx’s infection rate has topped the city since late April.
In that borough, 3,633 residents per 100,000 have tested positive. The Bronx has had 52,032 confirmed cases.
Queens has the third highest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in the city, with 3,075 residents per 100,000 testing positive. There have been 70,083 cases in that borough, the second-most populous.
Brooklyn, the borough with the largest population, has the fourth-lowest rate of infection per 100,000 residents -- 2,510.
Brooklyn’s 64,840 cases are the second most among the five boroughs, behind Queens.
Manhattan has the lowest infection rate in the city with 1,869 per 100,000 residents testing positive of those who were examined.
There have been 30,447 positive cases in Manhattan, the data said.