Finger Lakes region passes WNY for highest Covid rate

Here are each region’s percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days. Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes Region.

New state data shows the Finger Lakes Region has passed Western New York for the highest percent of Covid tests in the state. WNY has been the state leader or near the top almost every day in the recent Covid surge.

The Finger Lakes reported an 8.5 percent positive rate on Saturday, when 10,067 tests were reported with 853 positive. That nine-county region includes Orleans.

Western New York, which includes 5 counties, had a 7.0 percent positive rate with 923 positive tests out of 13,253. That actually is the third highest rate among the 10 regions on Saturday. The Mohawk Valley was second at 7.1 percent, with 321 out of 4,500 testing positive.

State-wide the average positivity rate was 4.71 percent on Saturday.

“This is a war and we continue to adapt to the enemy by making decisions based on data and science — not opinion and fear,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said today. “We’re closely monitoring hospital capacity and have implemented triggers to ensure hospitals have what they need. The light at the end of the tunnel is the vaccine, and one is coming, but until then we must be disciplined. Public health experts agree households and private gatherings are a major driver of transmission right now, demonstrating once again that it is our actions that determine the infection rate.”

On Friday, WNY had the highest rate in the state at 7.6 percent, followed by the Mohawk Valley at 7.2 percent, Mid-Hudson at 6.9 percent and the Finger Lakes at 6.2 percent.

On Thursday, the Finger Lakes also topped WNY for the highest percent positive, with 8.5 and WNY at 8.2.

Western New York, however, continues to lead the state with the percent positive on a seven-day average. WNY is at 7.4 percent with the Finger Lakes second at 6.8 percent.