STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The number of deaths on Staten Island believed to have been caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) has reached 994, city Health Department data shows.
At the same time, the total of confirmed coronavirus cases recorded in the borough since the pandemic’s outbreak stood at 13,414 on Monday afternoon, according the most recent figures published.
As of 1 p.m., the fatalities include 820 Staten Islanders with confirmed coronavirus cases. In addition, 174 deaths were in the “probable” category.
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.
A Health Department source said the figures reflect totals as of when they are reported to the agency and not when the deaths occur.
While the daily number of deaths and new cases on Staten Island have generally slowed since the beginning of May, they have not stopped.
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Across the five boroughs, there were 200,830 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Monday afternoon.
The number represented a spike of 283 from Sunday’s tally of 200,547.
Citywide, the death toll was 21,607 on Monday afternoon, up 38 from the 21,569 fatalities recorded 24 hours earlier.
The deaths consist of 16,882 individuals who were confirmed coronavirus cases, along with 4,725 others whose deaths were deemed as “probable” COVID-19 cases.
A large majority of the deaths in confirmed coronavirus cases which were investigated by the city thus far have occurred in patients with underlying medical issues, said the Health Department.
Underlying conditions include diabetes, lung disease, cancer, immunodeficiency, heart disease, hypertension, asthma, kidney disease and gastro-intestinal/liver disease, said the Health Department.
On a positive note, a total of 3,109 coronavirus patients have been treated at and released from the borough’s two hospital systems since the pandemic’s outbreak.
Staten Island University Hospital’s (SIUH) two campuses have discharged 1,995 patients as of Monday, said Jillian O’Hara, a spokeswoman.
Richmond University Medical Center has treated and released 1,114 patients, Alex Lutz, a spokesman, said.
Meanwhile, the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the borough has dipped below 100.
On Monday morning, 92 patients were being cared for on Staten Island.
The total is a fraction compared to just under two months ago when hospitalizations peaked.
On April 8, 554 Islanders were hospitalized with the coronavirus.
At SIUH, 61 patients were being treated Monday morning – all at the Ocean Breeze campus, said O’Hara. No coronavirus patients are in the Prince’s Bay facility, she said.
Richmond University Medical Center was caring for 31 coronavirus patients as of Monday morning, Lutz said.
With respect to testing, the data show 2,817 of every 100,000 Staten Islanders have received positive results for the coronavirus, according to 2018 Census data projections and the Health Department’s Monday afternoon tally.
Staten Island’s infection rate is 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 still tops the city.
In that borough, 3,172 residents per 100,000 have tested positive. The Bronx has had 45,428 cases.
Queens has the third highest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in the city, with 2,693 residents per 100,000 testing positive. There have been 61,372 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 – 2,146.
Brooklyn’s 55,421 cases are the second most among the five boroughs.
Manhattan has the lowest infection rate among the boroughs with 1,541 per 100,000 residents testing positive.
There have been 25,092 positive cases in Manhattan, the data said.