New York City ( from pixabay)

More than 1 million NYC residents have gotten COVID-19

Over one million COVID-19 cases have been reported in New York City, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

By Edward Era Barbacena

New York City hit a somber milestone on Saturday, surpassing 1 million cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

The city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported there have now been 1,000,469 confirmed and probable cases in the five boroughs.

It came some 18 months after the Big Apple’s first coronavirus infection was confirmed on March 1, 2020.

Health officials said 33,645 New Yorkers died from the virus. The number of hospitalizations stood at 117,496, accounting for about 12 percent of the cases.

Some 8.8 million people live in the city, according to new census data released Thursday.

The state reached the grim seven-figure landmark back in January.

New York City suffered the bulk of its cases at the start of the pandemic and this winter, when daily case totals approached 8,000, according to health officials.

The highly contagious Delta variant has driven a third, lesser spike in caseloads in recent weeks, with 1,817 cases reported in the city on Wednesday, the last day statistics were available.

One-third of city adults are not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but rates have increased over the last two weeks, thanks in part to a cash incentive. According to the DOH, 104,544 New Yorkers got their first shots between August 1 and August 7 — the most in a week since May.

The news comes days before the city will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter certain indoor businesses like restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and gyms.

The “Key to NYC Pass” mandate will be unveiled Monday.