What impact has the holiday season had so far on COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths in Suffolk County?
To answer that question, we took a look at the data from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day, a 37-day period. We also looked at the numbers for the 8-day period from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day.
Finally, we compared the data in the 37 days from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day with the data in the 37 days before Thanksgiving, which includes Halloween — when COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths began to rise significantly again after months of stability.
In the 37 days since Thanksgiving there have been 281 COVID deaths —30% of those deaths (85 deaths) were in the 8 days from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day. The 7-day average of daily deaths reported rose from 2 per day on Thanksgiving to 12 per day on New Year’s Day.
In the 37 days before Thanksgiving there were a total of 27 COVID deaths.
In the 37 days since Thanksgiving there have been 2,238 new COVID hospital admissions — 26% of those new admissions (540) were in the 8 days from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day.
In the 37 days before Thanksgiving, there were a total of 462 new COVID hospital admissions.
In the 37 days since Thanksgiving, the 7-day average of daily COVID hospitalizations rose from 169 to 710 — a 320% spike. From Christmas Day to New Year’s Day, average daily hospitalizations jumped 20%, from 583 on Christmas to 699 on Jan. 1.
By comparison, in the 37 days before Thanksgiving, the 7-day average of daily COVID hospitalizations was 62.
Since Thanksgiving, the 7-day average positivity rate rose from 3.7% on Thanksgiving Day to 9.7% on New Year’s. It was 7.2% on Christmas Day.
In the 37 days before Thanksgiving, the 7-day average positivity rate rose from 1.4% to 3.7%.
Statewide, the COVID test percent-positive rate (7-day average) went from 3.2% on Thanksgiving to 7.3% on New Year’s Day.
Daily new hospital admissions (7-day average) rose from 415 on Thanksgiving Day to 930 on New Year’s Day.
Daily hospitalizations (7-day average) during that same period rose from 2,818 to 7,593.
Daily COVID deaths (7-day average) climbed from 42 on Thanksgiving Day to 132 on New Year’s Day. There were a total of 3,310 fatalities.
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