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WPCNR COVID BULLETIN. By John F. Bailey based on Saturday Covid Testing from the New York State Covid Tracker. August 1, 2021:

The last week in July saw the highest number infections at the highest rate of infection since mid-April when the virus was being stopped in a period of 3 weeks.

That is a memory.

Today’s Sunday figures will he out tomorrow afternoon. But the lower number of tests on Saturday isued this afternoon showed the highest infection rate we have seen since Westchester was being overwhelmed with the second wave in Late February, when the county is averaging 3-1/2 to 4 % new infections.

The relentless rise in the numbers of new infections since last Sunday July 25, , 7 days ago–showed the infection rate (number of positives for persons tested) rising as number of persons tested rose. When a small test quantity showed a 2.9% infection yesterday on Saturday, it means that even if higher test numbers say today or Monday may show less infection rate, the number of new infections may go up at a greater rate due to the higher test universe. Not a happy thought.

But that is what we are seeing in the last 7 days: From 68 new infections last Sunday, we doubled the number of infections a day to new infections averaging over 100 a day–and more when higher testing quantities were administered: Look at the last four days:

As testing went up in midweek, so did the new positives, 129 on Wednesday the 28th; 140 on the 29th, 156 on Friday, and on a testing universe of 1319 less tests on Saturday, still 137 were still double the number of positives shown in a similar test quantity a on Saturday July 24 (4,538) when 74 tested positive, just 1.6%

. Yesterday on Saturday when 4,689 were tested, 137 persons were found to be positive, a 2.9% infection rate, almost double that test of Saturday one week ago.

Comparing our number of positives as being less than positive trend in past, should give no comfort when Westchester is seeing spreads in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and White Plains and up county, too in Peekskill, Cortlandt.

The sense of relief of covid being over has lead to behavior and official false confidence in lifting restrictions that has in one week driven Westchester way past the safe infection rate of 1/2 % positive Westchester had seen in May and June.

The spread is in part, is due to the July Independence Day Weekend, where the party spirit, the beaches, parks, and relaxed restaurant restrictions, and to much social closer distancing apparently has blunted the effect of the vaccines and exposed the unvaccinated to new infections.

This is all happening in just 6 days, one month before schools are supposed to start.