STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- The rate at which New York City residents are being hospitalized and dying from coronavirus (COVID-19) related illnesses appears to have flattened.
Data from the city’s Department of Health shows 326 new deaths reported from Saturday to Sunday, after 398 new deaths were reported on Saturday and 639 were reported on Friday.
The death rate on Staten Island is dropping as well.
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Data shows 16 new deaths reported from Saturday to Sunday, after 29 new deaths were reported on Saturday and 31 were reported on Friday
The fatalities on record do not include individuals who have died at home and were not tested for the coronavirus.
As of this weekend, more Staten Islanders had lost their lives in connection to the virus than on Sept. 11, 2001.
The statistics in New York City fall in line with statewide figures, as officials report a plateau in the number of deaths each day and a drop in the number of new hospitalizations.
STATEN ISLAND HOSPITALS
As of Sunday, a combined 500 patients were being treated for COVID-19 related issues at hospitals on Staten Island, which is 10 more than were reported Saturday.
Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) was treating 271 patients at the Ocean Breeze location, and 61 patients in Prince’s Bay, a spokesman for the hospital said.
Staff at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) were treating 168 patients, including 60 in the intensive care unit, a RUMC spokesman said.
Despite the slight uptick in hospitalizations, data over the past three days appear to show the numbers stabilizing.
Meanwhile, the number of patients discharged continues to increase.
At RUMC, 161 COVID-19 patients have so far been treated and released, while SIUH reported Sunday that 675 patients had been discharged. Those figures represent an increase of 11 and 14, respectively, over a 24-hour-period.
TESTING FOR ANTIBODIES
Staten Island now has 7,784 total cases, which translates to an infection rate of 1,635 per 100,000 residents.
As of Saturday evening, Staten Island continued to show the highest rate of infection, followed by the Bronx.
The number of positive cases across the city is lower than what actually is the case, however, due to a lack of testing, city and state officials have said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday the city will open testing sites in low-income, minority neighborhoods that are among those hit hardest by the crisis, including a site on Staten Island.
Hours later, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at his daily press conference the state would allow more companies to begin testing for antibodies. Once this happens, residents found to already have been infected and fought off the virus could then return to the workforce, he said.