New York new COVID-19 cases spike as more people take tests

NEW YORK -- Daily COVID-19 cases in New York State shot up and hit a new record once again while more people were tested amid a new wave of infection, according to data issued by the local government on Wednesday.

New York State reported 67,090 positive cases on Wednesday, a 64 percent surge in 24 hours, according to the latest data. New York City alone added 39,591 new cases on the day.

Meanwhile, the state ran 362,594 tests on Tuesday, up from 210,996 on Monday.

The positive rate for COVID-19 tests hovers at 18.5 percent with the 7-day average positive rate at 14.61 percent.

"As we approach the New Year, it is vitally important that we don't let our guard down in our fight against the pandemic," New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.

The state also reported 97 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 61,159.

Currently, a total of 6,767 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized across the state after 1,474 new patients were admitted to hospitals.

New York State leaders are preparing for a surge in January 2022. "We do think there's going to be a spike in cases that's going to continue, not just in our positive rates, but in our hospitalizations," Hochul said.