Taking Stock of the COVID Surge

Taking Stock of the COVID Surge: New Coronavirus cases are surging around the world reaching record heights for three consecutive days and topping 465,000 new daily cases on Saturday according to the World Health Organization.

Close to half of these record cases occurred in Europe precipitating a new round of social and economic restrictions from Ireland to Spain. France is one of the hardest hit European countries with new daily cases surging since the beginning of September, and posting four consecutive days of record cases peaking at 52,000 on Monday, October 26. Prior to September France’s peak daily new cases was 8,800 in August and 7,200 in April.

The United States also recorded record new cases over 82,000 on Saturday and Sunday – against previous peaks of 74,000 in July.

New York State

Meanwhile on Sunday, October 25 new COVID cases in New York State dropped to 1,191 after surging to 2,061 on Friday from a record 156,940 tests administered. That represent a slight uptick in the State’s positive test rate to 1.3%. Friday’s new case load was the highest on record for the state since May 20 when there were 2,088 new cases reported from 49,219 test administered on that date – a 4.2% positive test rate. New York’s previous new daily new case peak was 11,571 on April 14 from 26,861 tests – a whopping 43% positive test rate.

While increased testing accounts for part of the aggregate increases in new COVID cases in New York and around the world the number of hospitalizations and deaths have not returned to spring levels as most of the new cases are concentrated amongst a younger population. However, Europe’s dramatic surge is driving total hospitalizations to worrisome levels in Poland, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Westchester County

In Westchester County new cases hit 151 on Friday, representing a 2.1% positive test rate. But fell to 71 new cases on Sunday, a 1.5% positive test rate. Westchester’s daily new cases peak was 1,253 on March 25, a 21% positive test rate. The positivity rate in New York’s COVID clusters in Brooklyn, Queens, Rockland and Orange Counties dropped to 2.31% on Friday, October 23.

Local Schools COVID Report Card

The New York State COVID Report Card continues to show minimal cases in the area’s public schools. Through Friday, October 23, the Byram Hills Central School District show a total of three positive cases including two students at Wampus and Crittenden. The Bedford Central School District now has eight cases including three students at both Fox Lane HS and Fox Lane Middle School. The Chappaqua School District has just one case at Grafflin Elementary School. The Pleasantville Unified School District has three cases including two students all at the middle school. The Katonah Lewisboro Unified School District has four cases including two students at the Increase Miller Elementary School and one at John Jay HS. North Salem has one case each at the Pequenoconck Elementary School and one at the Middle School/High School. And the Somers Central School District has two cases including one student at the Primrose Elementary School.

(Feature Photo by Susan Segrest)