Total COVID-19 hospitalizations reached 8,176 on Friday in New York state, down from 8,357 on Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted on Saturday.

Of the 269,350 COVID-19 tests reported on Friday in the state, 12,804 were positive, or 4.75 percent of the total, up from 4.65 percent one day earlier, Cuomo said, adding that the fatalities went down to 140 on Friday, compared with 151 on Thursday.

"We've gotten past the post-holiday spike and thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers, our infection rate continues to decline. In fact, if this current trajectory holds, we can open up indoor dining in New York City by Valentine's Day, but actually getting to that point will be a consequence of our actions," the governor was quoted as saying in an official release issued on Saturday.

"We must continue taking steps to reopen our economy, but we have to do it smartly and safely. As New York continues to build out one of the nation's most expansive vaccination networks to get as many shots in arms as possible, we must all remember to take responsibility at an individual level also and do what's necessary for stamping out virus once and for all," he said.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is within sight, (and) it's just going to take all of us staying tough and united to get there," he added.

On Friday, the governor tweeted, "95% of first doses allocated to NYS healthcare distribution sites have been administered as of 11 am today. 1,387,840 first doses received. 1,316,032 first doses administered."

As of Saturday noon, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported 43,278 coronavirus deaths in New York state, the worst in the country.