Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in 18 counties in the Capitol Region, Southern Tier and Hudson Valley on Thursday after a heavy snowfall. Some places, like Binghamton, got more than three feet of snow.
Cuomo recommended people stay off the roads, if they can avoid it. There were 9,100 power outages, 600 automobile accidents and two fatalities.
“It is a serious condition,” Cuomo said. “Stay home, if you can.”
Western and central New York, the North Country and New York City were spared with only a few inches.
New York state has a 5.3% COVID-19 positivity rate, down from 6.2%.
“That’s actually good news,” Cuomo said. “Bad news is 120 New Yorkers passed away yesterday.”
Cuomo said the Finger Lakes region is a real problem area for COVID-19 infections right now, at 8.2%, the highest in the state. Mohawk Valley is also a problem at 8.03%.
The snow did not hinder deliveries of the COVID-19 vaccine, Cuomo said. The federal government flies in the vaccine.
“There is no significant disruption,” Cuomo said. “In places where we need to supplement the transportation with four-wheel-drive vehicles, heavy equipment, we’re doing that.”
