New York, Jan 3 (IANS): The total coronavirus hospitalisations stood at 7,814 in New York state in the last 24 hours, down from 7,886 the previous day, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo.

On Saturday, Cuomo once warned that a post-holiday spike of Covid-19 hospitalisations was expected, because people would usually travel and gather during this time, which could fuel the spread of the virus, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, of the 202,446 Covid-19 tests reported on January 1 in the state, 15,074 were positive, or 7.45 per cent of the total, down from 7.52 per cent one day earlier, said the Governor.

"With 2020 now behind us, we can see brighter days ahead, but to get there quickly, it's going to take all New Yorkers staying smart and staying united," Cuomo was quoted as saying in an official release issued on Saturday.

"We have the vaccine, and that is good news, but it will be months before we've reached critical mass, making it as important as ever that we do not let Covid fatigue get the best of us.

"The state is working around the clock with the medical community to not only ensure vaccines are distributed as quickly and efficiently as possible, but to also continue growing bed capacity so hospitals do not become overwhelmed.

"As daunting as it may seem after all this time, it's critical that the rest of us remain tough and keep up our efforts to slow the spread. We've already come so far and we will finally reach that light at the end of the tunnel if we all just do our part," the Governor added in the statement.

The New York state has so far reported more than 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, while the death toll stood at 38,180, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Also on Saturday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the Covid-19 test positivity rate on a seven-day average went down to 9.39 per cent, compared with 9.41 percent a day earlier.

The rate topped 3 per cent in November 2020, which was believed by the city government to signify the arrival of a second wave of the coronavirus, and has remained above the level ever since.

The Mayor said that there were 201 new hospitalisations and 3,648 new cases of the coronavirus in the city, adding: "Start 2021 off right. Practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings, wear a mask and get tested."

New York City has registered more than 443,000 coronavirus death with 25,211 deaths.