BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The infection rate in Western New York climbed to 1.6 percent on Sunday, the highest in the state.
Eight COVID-19 rapid testing sites are now open in WNY in response to increased infection rates.
"Every other region was below one percent. We've started a focus testing effort with rapid turnaround," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Geographically, Buffalo has the highest infection rate, at 5.5 percent.
"County of Erie [is at] 1.5, county of Niagara 2.9, Chautauqua 1.5. So we're going to use that information and continue testing and start to focus on those geographic areas that are showing higher numbers," said Cuomo.
100,000 tests were performed on Saturday, the most in a single day in the state. The infection rate out of those tests is .69 percent.
"We were originally tracking a handful of cluster situations in Western New York, including in a food processing plant at a steel plant. We had two nursing home facilities with a small uptick among the staff, and some of the seasonal labor of course. And then some of the university students," said Gareth Rhodes, a member of Cuomo's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
SUNY Oneonta is closing its campus for two weeks after a spike in COVID-19 cases following reports of several large parties.
