The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York surged past 500, increasing by over 100 in one day. A number of counties in the Hudson Valley also saw an increase.

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During, a novel coronavirus conference briefing Saturday morning, Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed 100 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 524 confirmed cases in New York State. 117 are hospitalized.

Of the 524 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

  • Albany County: 3 (1 new)
  • Broome County: 1
  • Delaware County: 1
  • Dutchess County: 3
  • Herkimer County: 1
  • Monroe County: 2
  • Nassau County: 68 (17 new)
  • New York City: 213 (59 new)
  • Orange County: 6 (3 new)
  • Rockland County: 10 (1 new)
  • Saratoga: 3
  • Schenectady: 1
  • Suffolk County: 33 (3 new)
  • Tioga County: 1 (1 new)
  • Tompkins County: 1 (1 new)
  • Ulster County: 5
  • Westchester County: 172 (14 new)

As of this writing, the updated totals mean New York has more confirmed cases of coronavirus than any other state, including Washington, once the epicenter of the outbreak, according to Fox News and the New York Post.

Update: CNN reports Washington now has 568 cases. New York remains at 524, according to CNN.

The Governor also confirmed the first novel coronavirus-related death in New York State, an 82-year-old woman in Brooklyn who had a pre-existing respiratory disease of emphysema.

Cuomo also announced the State Department of Financial Services will require insurance companies to waive co-pays for telehealth visits. This action will encourage New Yorkers to seek medical attention from their homes rather than visit a hospital or doctor's office — ultimately reducing strain on the healthcare system and preventing further spread of the virus.

He also authorized the State to open a drive-through mobile testing facility on Long Island in the coming week. This follows the success of the New Rochelle mobile testing center, which opened yesterday and serviced 150 cars and tested 263 people, exceeding the initial goal of testing 200 people in its first day.

Once fully operational, the New Rochelle facility will be able to test up to 500 people per day. Drive-through mobile testing facilities help keep people who are sick or at risk of having contracted coronavirus out of healthcare facilities where they could infect other people, officials say.

"As the novel coronavirus continues to spread and the number of positive cases increases, we are encouraging New Yorkers to use tele-medicine if they are sick and we will set up a new drive-through mobile testing facility on Long Island to help keep people out of emergency rooms and reduce the strain on our healthcare system," Cuomo said. "The more tests we do, the higher the number of positive cases we will see — so we need to keep that context in mind when we see these numbers continuing to go up. And we will continue to communicate the facts, because the facts and the information defeat the fear and anxiety in this situation."

Additionally, Cuomo said he will sign an Executive Order on Saturday to help relieve the economic impact of COVID-19 on workers and assure school aid for schools that have been directed to close. As part of the Governor's Executive Order, the state will waive the 7-day waiting period for workers in shared work programs to claim unemployment insurance for those that have been put out of work by COVID-19. The Executive Order will also eliminate the aid penalty for schools directed to close by state or local officials or those closed under a state or local declaration of emergency that do not meet 180-day requirements if they are unable to make up school days.

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