Cuomo: 3% of Hudson Valley Residents Have COVID-19 Antibodies

New test results show 12.3 percent of New Yorkers recovered from coronavirus.

On Saturday during his daily COVID-19 briefing, Cuomo announced the hospitalization and intubation rates are down "a tick." 831 New Yorkes went to hospitals with the virus.

"It had been relatively flat at about 900 every day, which isn't great news. Yesterday was 831. We will watch to see what happens with that," Cuomo said.

He also announced 299 New Yorkers died from COVID-19 since the last count, bringing the statewide total to 18,603. More New Yorkers died on Friday than the previous day, Cuomo noted.

"It's not dropping at the rate we would like," Cuomo said about the number of Empire State residents dying from COVID-19 each day. "So that's bad news."

Cuomo released additional preliminary results from the statewide antibody survey. The result shows that 12.3 percent of the state population is positive for COVID-19 antibodies, from an expanded sample size of 15,000.

"If somebody has antibodies it means that the person was infected (with COVID-19). They have now recovered, so they have antibodies," Cuomo said.

Nearly 20 percent of New York City residents tested positive for the antibodies.

Three percent of the Hudson Valley, not including Westchester and Rockland counties, tested positive for antibodies, Cuomo confirmed from Queens during his COVID-19 briefing.

A regional breakdown of the results is below:

• Hudson Valley (without Westchester/Rockland): 3.0%
• Westchester/Rockland: 13.8%
• New York City: 19.9%
• Mohawk Valey: 2.7%
• North County: 1.2%
• Central New York: 1.9%
• Southern Tier: 2.4%
• Finger Lakes: 2.6%
• Western New York: 6%

The survey developed a baseline infection rate by testing 15,000 people at grocery stores and community centers across the state over the past two weeks, according to the Governor's office. Of those tested, 11.5% of women tested positive and 13.1% of men tested positive.

"We are in uncharted waters," Cuomo said. "But that doesn’t mean we are sailing blind. We are constantly looking at the data to chart our course."

Cuomo has told hospitals he wants them to find out more information about people who test positive for the virus. He wants to know if they are front-line workers and if they know where they were infected.

He also announced the state will distribute 7 million more cloth masks across the state to most vulnerable New Yorkers.