Gov. Andrew Cuomo believes New York has made "great progress" in the battle against coronavirus.

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On Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo announced New York's 7-day average COVID-19 positivity rate has dropped to 4.38 percent, its lowest since December 1.

"We've made great progress on that front, but one factor continues to hold us back - the (vaccine) supply. Thankfully, the new federal government has begun righting the wrongs of the past administration and the future is looking bright. If we all just stay disciplined and keep doing what we need to do, we will win this war," Cuomo said in a press release. "Our post-holiday surge reduction is continuing, and that is the direct result of the toughness of New Yorkers who have sacrificed and done what is needed to beat back this invisible enemy. Our infection rate is the lowest it has been since December 1, so we're back to where we started on the holiday surge."

While Cuomo is proud of the job Empire State residents have done thus far, he warns the battle is far from over, especially with new variants of the virus popping up in the Hudson Valley and across the state.

"Now more than ever, it's critically important we stay united and keep the momentum on our side - especially as new variants of the virus threaten to upend the progress we have made. Simultaneously, we also must continue to get New Yorkers vaccinated as quickly and fairly as possible," Cuomo added.

Cuomo recently confirmed 15 more cases of the UK variant of COVID-19 were identified in New York State, including the first known case in Ulster County. To date, there are 59 known cases of the variant in New York State including at least one in Westchester County.

On Tuesday, the CDC announced new strains of COVID have spiked by 73 percent nationwide in the past week.

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