COVID-19 hospitalization and infection rates around New York City have started to flatten in recent days, according to the latest public health data.
Hospitalizations dropped from a peak of 97 a day across a seven-day average on May 17 to 70 on May 24, the newest Department of Health data show.
That’s the lowest the figures have been in almost a month, or since April 28, and the first drop of that size since the admission numbers began trending up in mid-March.
Less than five out of 100,000 people hospitalized were vaccinated while more than 188 per 100,000 in the medical facilities hadn’t gotten the shot as of May 14, the latest data available for those numbers.
That means unvaccinated New Yorkers were 38 times more likely to have to check into a hospital for COVID-19 than their peers who got inoculated.
The rate of people who have received their full series of vaccinations and a booster dose continued to stay flat at around 38%, the same as it was two weeks ago.
Cases per 100,000 also remained relatively flat during that time at 348.73 on May 24, compared to around 355 since May 15.
The Bronx had the lowest infection rates per 100,000 at at 268.37 and while they were highest on Staten Island at 472.34.
The highest and lowest ZIP codes for COVID-19 percent positivity rates bore out those divides, with Great Kills (10308) on the Rock topping the list at a rate of 17.78%, while the three lowest areas were in the Bronx with Mott Haven/Port Morris (10454) at the bottom at 3.65%.
Despite the hopeful signs, citywide positivity was still at 9.16% averaged over seven days, and the Big Apple remained in a high level of community spread, which means that health officials continue to recommend wearing a mask at any public indoor setting.
The city has been on a high alert level for almost two weeks since May 17, however, Mayor Eric Adams decided against brining back a mask mandate at the time.
