The rate of New Yorkers who tested positive for antibodies, meaning they had COVID-19 at some point, has decreased, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a briefing.
The percentage of residents who had antibodies was 12.3% as of May 1, down from 13.9% on April 22 and 14.9% on April 27, Cuomo said.
Around 15,000 people were tested in the survey, according to the governor, who touted it as the largest antibody survey in the country.
While he admitted that it was not a major decrease, it was “better than seeing it go up.”
More men than women tested positive for antibodies, the results showed, and New York City continued to have the highest reported positive tests at 19.9%. In the city, the Bronx and Brooklyn had the two highest positive antibody results.
Cuomo said health experts still are trying to determine where new cases are coming from and have asked hospitals to record from neighborhoods new patients arrive. He’s also asked hospitals to help identify how many new cases are front-line workers or people with whom they live.
Ahead of the subway’s scheduled closure from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., starting May 6, officials discussed the logistics of the plan.
Sarah Feinberg, interim president of the New York City Transit, said that around 10,000 to 11,000 thousand people ride the subway from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. She said transit officials know which subway stations those people use and they’re going to ramp up bus services so fewer commuters see disruptions.
