Dec 17, 2021 - Health

New York reports highest daily COVID record of pandemic

People line up at a streetside COVID testing center in NYC

People wait to be tested for COVID-19 at a street-side testing booth in New York on Dec. 17. Photo: Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

New York reported 21,027 COVID cases on Friday, surpassing the previous single-day record from January as Omicron reaches across the state.

Why it matters: With the new variant appearing to spread more easily than previous COVID strains, the surge will likely be replicated around the country, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes.

Details: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who announced the new record on Friday, also noted the state's number of reported daily hospitalizations is on the rise.

  • 7.98% of Friday's 263,536 reported test results were positive.
  • 93.9% of adult New Yorkers have had at least one vaccine dose, according to Hochul.
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