The good news: New York's overall infection rate for the last 26 days in a row has barely budged after tens of thousands of test results, showing an infection rate of below 1% for weeks now. 

The not so good news: Western New York continues to be an outlier, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office on Wednesday. 

New York officials confirmed 708 new COVID cases in the last day from the results of 88,447 tests, an infection rate of 0.8%. Five people have died of COVID-19, while hospitalizations stand at 445 patients. 

All regions of the state have positive rates below 1%, save for western New York, where test results came back 1.7% positive. The state has previously sent officials to respond to the heightened numbers there, including sites with repaid testing kits.

"Defeating COVID-19 requires a shared commitment among all New Yorkers to wear masks, socially distance and wash hands, and I thank them for listening to state guidance and taking social action to get us to this point today. Twenty-six straight days with an infection rate below 1 percent is no mean feat," Cuomo said. 

"However, high case levels throughout the country are storm clouds on the horizon, and we have to stay vigilant in partnership with the enforcement of local governments. We're all in this together, and we'll get through it together — stay tough, New York."