Aug. 17 (UPI) — New York reported a COVID-19 positivity rate below 1% for the ninth consecutive day as the United States neared 170,000 deaths related to the virus.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that New York, once the epicenter for the coronavirus in the United States, reported 607 new cases out of 77,692 tests, a positivity rate of 0.78%. The state has reported a total of 425,508 confirmed positive cases since the onset of the pandemic, the fourth-highest total in the United States.
Cuomo also announced six new deaths, adding to the state’s death toll of 25,250 — the highest in the nation.
Overall, the United States leads the world with 5,379,914 reported cases and a nationwide death toll of 169,745.
California reported 7,873 new cases for the highest total in the country at 621,562. The state also reported 77 new deaths for a total of 11,224, in third place behind New Jersey.
Florida, which has the second-highest case total in the United States, reported 3,899 new cases for a total of 573,416 positive cases and 107 new deaths for a death toll of 9,582 in fifth place. The cases are the lowest since June.
Texas reported 6,744 new cases and is in third place in the nation with a total of 535,582 confirmed cases. The state also reported 503 new deaths for a total of 9,983 deaths.
Georgia ranks fifth in cases reporting 1,873 new positives on Sunday for a total of 237,030 along with 33 new deaths for a death toll of 4,702.
Arizona reported 883 new cases on Sunday for a total of 193,537 — seventh-highest in the nation — along with 14 new deaths for a total of 4,506. Also Sunday, Virginia reported 937 new cases, Missouri added 984 cases and Alabama reported 853 new cases, according to Worldometer.
