STATEN ISLAND – The coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed the life of one more Staten Islander in the past 24 hours, while for the second straight day there have been 18 new confirmed cases of the disease, city Health Department data shows.
As of Friday afternoon, 1,020 borough residents are believed to have succumbed to the virus, according to the most recent figures published.
That total was 1,019 on Thursday. It had been 1,014 on both Sunday and Monday, representing an increase of six this week.
The fatalities include 842 Staten Islanders with confirmed coronavirus cases, an uptick of one from Thursday afternoon.
In addition, 178 deaths were in the “probable” category, the same as 24 hours earlier.
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.
Also as of 1 p.m. Friday, there have been 13,662 confirmed coronavirus cases in the borough since the pandemic’s outbreak, the data said.
That total had been 13,644 cases at the same time on Thursday. Wednesday’s tally was 13,626.
There had been 13,573 cases at the start of the week on Sunday.
*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***
Citywide, there were 205,846 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Friday afternoon.
The number represented a jump of 441 from Thursday’s tally of 205,405.
Throughout the five boroughs, the death toll had surpassed 22,000 by 1 p.m. Friday.
Total fatalities were recorded as 22,043, a bump up of 50 from the 21,993 deaths recorded 24 hours earlier.
The fatalities consist of 17,351 individuals who were confirmed coronavirus cases, along with 4,692 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 3,268 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 2,101 patients as of Friday, said Jillian O’Hara, a spokesperson.
Richmond University Medical Center has treated and released 1,167 patients, Krista Desiderio, a spokesperson, said.
At the same time, the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the borough declined by six.
On Friday morning, 61 patients were being cared for on Staten Island.
The total is a fraction compared to two months ago when in-patient numbers peaked.
On April 8, 554 Islanders were hospitalized with the coronavirus.
At SIUH, 41 patients were being treated Friday morning, a dip of three from 24 hours earlier, said O’Hara. No coronavirus patients are in the Prince’s Bay facility, she said.
Richmond University Medical Center was caring for 20 coronavirus patients as of Friday morning, down three from Thursday, Desiderio said.
With respect to testing, the data shows 2,869 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 Friday 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 has topped the city for weeks.
In that borough, 3,244 residents per 100,000 have tested positive. The Bronx has had 46,452 cases.
Queens has the third highest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in the city, with 2,757 residents per 100,000 testing positive. There have been 62,838 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 – 2,207.
Brooklyn’s 56,993 cases are the second most among the five boroughs.
Manhattan has the lowest infection rate in the city with 1,584 per 100,000 residents testing positive of those who were examined.
There have been 25,793 positive cases in Manhattan, the data said.