Upstate COVID-19 Surge: Hudson Valley Spared So Far

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — A surge of COVID-19 cases that began in the Finger Lakes in early April has spread to most of New York's 62 counties upstate of the Hudson Valley.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, most of the state is now in its "high-risk" category.

In the Hudson Valley, three counties — Putnam, Ulster and Westchester — are in the "moderate risk" category. Moderate means more than 200 new cases per 100,000 in the last seven days. Dutchess, Orange and Rockland remain classified as low-risk.

The surge may have plateaued in central New York: As of Friday, that region's 7-day average case rate had declined nearly 5 percent over the previous week, state officials said.

However, in the Hudson Valley, the numbers continue to rise. The 7-day average was 33.3 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents as of April 30.

That's more than double the 12.58 per 100,000 case rate as of March 29, and slightly higher than the 25.94 cases per 100,000 residents as of April 13 or the 28.34 cases per 100K as of April 25.

The state health department issued a public health warning about the upstate surge on April 13, announcing the emergence of two omicron subvariants, BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1. The subvariants have been estimated to have a 23- to 27 percent growth advantage above the original BA.2 variant.

The hospitalization rate in the Hudson Valley, which had bottomed out at the end of the winter surge in late March, has been rising since then.

For example, there were 11 Putnam County residents admitted to New York hospitals during April 20-27, compared to three in the previous 7-day period, according to the county's coronavirus dashboard.

SEE: COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Ticking Upward in the Hudson Valley

Regionally, caseloads varied slightly from county to county as of Saturday, state health data showed.

State health officials continue to urge New Yorkers to continue to take precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19. The health department recommends:

• Get fully vaccinated and boosted when eligible.
• Consider wearing a mask in public indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
• Test following exposure, symptoms, or travel.
• If COVID-positive, stay home and consult with a healthcare provider about treatments.
• Improve air ventilation or gather outdoors to reduce transmission and the risk of severe disease