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WPCNR CORONA VIRUS MONITOR. From the New York State Covid Tracker. Observations by John F. Bailey. UPDATED 9:25 A.M. E.S.T:

In the week before Christmas, positive cases from two weeks ago resulted in an “explosion” of new positive cases December 19 through December 25. Based on the WPCNR daily logbook of infections, the 2,788 persons testing positive two weeks ago in the week December 5 to 12 resulted in part to spreading the disease to 11,450 persons during Christmas week.

Those persons infected with covid two weeks ago resulted in passing the disease to 3.6 other persons who were not infected.

Governor Kathy Hochul in her analysis of the state of rapidly escalating covid infections Monday said that 65% of new cases of covid statewide had been identified to be the Omicron Covid strain.

The 10,050 persons testing positive through Christmas Day if they spread the disease to 3.6 persons at various times before being tested positive could result in 36,230 persons infected with covid in two weeks.

That 3.6 persons infected by new covid positives 2 weeks ago reflected in last week 11,450 positives is a rate of spread of 1 new infectee spreading to 2.5 persons from the two weeks before December 5, beginning November 21, when 1,086 were newly infected that week.. The highly contagious omicron variant has increased new infections in the tri-state area to new positive rates of up to 20%.

Of those tested in the Mid-Hudson Valley region, of 18,874 tests Saturday, 3,659 residents of Mid-Hudson tested positive, an average of 18.4% Westchester tested 9,536 and 2,049 were positive for covid, 21.5% Infection Rate

Hospitalizations of covid patients in Westchester rose to 214 as of Friday, December 24, County Executive George Latimer reported in his Tuesday WVOX broadcast, up from 50 one month ago.

It would appear those infected with covid, Omicron or Delta varients are getting less sick. The 214 hospitalizations last Friday indicate only 8% of the 2,788 infections two weeks ago have been sick enough to be hospitalized.

In the Mid-Hudson Valley region, Westchester County had the most cases Saturday, 2,049. Rockland reported 679; Orange County, 461; Dutchess, 278; Ulster, 111; Sullivan, 61; and Putnam 20. The total Mid-Hudson region cases last week was 3,659.

Nassau and Suffolk counties Saturday surged back to 6,334 new covid infections between the two counties, with infection rate of 21% of those tested in those two counties.

New York City new cases outpace the 9 surrounding counties with 3 times the number of new covid cases.