STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As new infections of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continued to decrease statewide, an additional 28 Staten Islanders have officially died as a result of the virus — bringing the borough’s confirmed and probable death total to 660, the latest city Health Department data shows.
The data, which accounts for cases and deaths as of 6 p.m. on Friday, showed 526 Staten Islanders are confirmed to have died from the virus, along with 134 borough residents listed as “probable" coronavirus deaths. The latest data showed an additional 11 confirmed and 13 probable deaths compared to Thursday night’s total.
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.
Citywide, 10,961 New Yorkers are confirmed to have died from the virus as of Friday evening, and an additional 5,309 have been tallied as probable deaths for a total of 16,270 residents.
Since Thursday night, 422 overall deaths have been added to the New York City total.
The city’s Health Department said 8,056 of the 8,119 deaths investigated by the department have occurred in patients with underlying medical issues.
Underlying conditions include diabetes, lung disease, cancer, immunodeficiency, heart disease, hypertension, asthma, kidney disease and gastro-intestinal/liver disease, said the Health Department.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
The number of patients hospitalized as a result of coronavirus decreased slightly on Saturday.
According to Staten Island’s two medical systems, 335 individuals are currently being treated at the borough’s three hospitals, which is a drop of 13 patients since Friday morning.
Currently, 186 patients are being treated at Staten Island University Hospital’s (SIUH) Ocean Breeze Campus — a decrease of seven patients since a day ago, and 32 patients are being treated at the Prince’s Bay campus — a decrease of five patients, according to Jillian O’Hara, a spokeswoman for SIUH.
At Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) in West Brighton, 117 coronavirus patients are being treated at the hospital, which is a drop of one patient since yesterday morning. Of those patients, 44 are in the ICU, which is a slight increase of two patients since Friday, according to Alex Lutz, a spokesman for RUMC.
In total, 1,315 patients have been treated and released from SIUH’s two campuses, which is an increase of 26 patients compared to yesterday, O’Hara said.
RUMC has discharged 304 patients, including seven in the past 24 hours, according to Lutz.
RATE OF INFECTION
In regard to testing, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo said would begin to dramatically ramp up in the coming days, Staten Island has the second highest rate of confirmed cases in New York City — with 2,343 of every 100,000 testing positive for the virus, according to 2018 Census data projections and the Health Department’s Friday evening data.
Staten Island, which has 11,159 confirmed cases, accounts for 7% of the city’s total coronavirus cases.
Citywide, there were 150,576 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Friday evening, which is an increase of 4,437 cases from Thursday night’s total of 146,139 — representing a 2.9% increase.
Officials, however, stress the examinations do not necessarily reflect the full spread of the virus.
The Bronx has the highest rate of infection in the city, slightly topping Staten Island with 2,371 of every 100,000 residents confirmed for the coronavirus, according to the aforementioned data.
Queens, which accounts for 31% if the city’s total, has the third highest rate of infection, the data shows, with 2,053 confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents.
Brooklyn, the heaviest populated borough, has the fourth-highest rate at 1,545 residents per 100,000 testing positive for the virus. Brooklyn accounts for 27% of the cases in New York City.
Manhattan has the lowest rate with 1,148 positive coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents.