Parts of Hudson Valley Have Highest Infection Rates in New York

The Newburgh-New Windsor area has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the region.

On Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Newburgh, at 8.48 percent, had the third-highest COVID-19 positivity rate in New York State.

On Monday during a COVID-19 press briefing, Cuomo confirmed Lancaster in Erie County has the highest COVID-19 positivity rate at 9.68 percent. Cooperstown in Otsego County has the lowest at 0.24 percent.

Cuomo than shared a graphic of the infection rate in the Hudson Valley:

• Newburgh/New Windsor: 8.25%
• Ossining: 7.96%
• Peekskill: 7.50%
• Elmsford: 6.67%
• Port Chester: 6.6%
• Haverstraw: 6.03%
• Tarrytown: 5.87%
• Yonkers: 5.8%
• Pearl River: 5.69%
• Brewster: 5.56%
• Stony Point: 5.46%
• New City: 5.20%
• New Rochelle: 5.19%
• Eastchester: 4.54%
• Middletown: 3.84%

On Monday, Cuomo confirmed parts of the Hudson Valley are on track to face more COVID restrictions. In Orange County, Newburgh and New Windsor, which is currently in a Yellow Zone, is on track to move to an Orange Zone, according to Cuomo. In Putnam County, Brewster is on the verge of becoming a Yellow Zone; while in Westchester County Yonkers, Port Chester, Ossining, New Rochelle, Tarrytown, and Peekskill are nearing an Orange or Red Zone, Cuomo warned.

"We need a reality check because these are dangerous times that we're in. We are in a place now where there is a bad synergy -- a sense of COVID fatigue," Cuomo said. "It's the infection rate in your community that matters, and that's why we talk about micro-clusters. Influence your family's behavior and your community's behavior and be a COVID change agent in your community. We're social beings and it's also the high season of social activity. That is a bad combination, and it is always the combination of events that creates the major issues. This year, let's think of Thanksgiving as a time to yes, really give thanks to the people who really did phenomenal things this year, and continue to thank them by doing our part and wearing masks, staying socially distant, and practicing safe behaviors."