STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Thirty-seven new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported on Staten Island in the past 24 hours, while eight more borough residents are believed to have succumbed to the disease, city Health Department data shows.
Both figures represent a slight uptick in the number of new cases and fatalities reported each day this week.
As of Friday afternoon, there have been 13,080 confirmed coronavirus cases on Staten Island since the pandemic’s outbreak, according to the most recent figures published.
That total had been 13,043 on Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the disease is suspected to have claimed the lives of 954 Staten Islanders.
The fatalities include 785 borough residents with confirmed coronavirus cases, an increase of seven from Thursday’s posted data. The “probable” category went up by one to 169.
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.
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Throughout the five boroughs, there were 193,951 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Friday afternoon, a spike of 1,111 from Thursday’s tally of 192,840.
Citywide, the death toll rose by 83 over the prior 24 hours, reaching 21,086 by Friday afternoon.
The fatalities consist of 16,333 individuals who were confirmed coronavirus cases, along with 4,753 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 the plus side, the number of coronavirus patients treated at and released from the borough’s two hospitals since the pandemic’s outbreak has reached 2,942.
As of Friday morning, Staten Island University Hospital’s (SIUH) two campuses have discharged 1,883 patients, said Jillian O’Hara, a spokeswoman.
Richmond University Medical Center has treated and released 1,059 patients, Alex Lutz, a spokesman, said.
At the same time, the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in Richmond University dropped by three.
As of Friday morning, the hospital was caring for 33 coronavirus patients, said Lutz.
That number had been 36 on Thursday morning.
The number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in SIUH was not immediately available as of press time.
With respect to testing, the data show 2,747 of every 100,000 Staten Islanders have received positive results for the coronavirus, according to 2018 Census data projections and the Health Department’s Friday afternoon data.
Staten Island’s infection rate is second among the five boroughs.
Officials, however, stress the examinations do not necessarily reflect the full spread of the virus.
The Bronx’s infection rate remains the highest in the city.
In that borough, 3,067 residents per 100,000 have tested positive. The Bronx has 43,918 cases.
Queens has the third highest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in the city, with 2,616 residents per 100,000 testing positive. There are 59,615 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 – 2,057.
Brooklyn’s 53,137 cases are the second most among the five boroughs.
Manhattan has the lowest infection rate among the boroughs with 1,480 per 100,000 residents testing positive.
There have been 24,101 positive cases in Manhattan, the data said.