The daily death toll from COVID-19 fell below 100 people for the first time since March when the virus began its rapid spread around New York. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday announced 84 people had died from coronavirus as the death toll slipped below 100 people.

But the overall death toll from the virus in New York has been the highest in the country, with more than 20,000 people dying since March.  

Hospitalizations and new COVID cases also have continued their weeks-long slide in New York. Still, some regions of the state, including the Finger Lakes, have recorded an uptick in hospitalizations. 

The Mid-Hudson region, an area that stretches from Westchester County to Dutchess County, could begin the first phase of reopening on Tuesday as training for contact tracers will be done over the long weekend. 

Tracers are being hired by the thousands around the state to find people who have come into contact with those who have tested positive for the virus. 

Long Island could open by Wednesday if a death rate continues its decline in Suffolk and Nassau counties, Cuomo said. 

The first phase of the reopening includes the manufacturing and construction sectors, as well as some retail stores for curbside pickup. 

It's not yet clear when regions can be qualifying for phase 2 of the reopening process, but they likely will have to show continued declines in the key health metrics. 

Cuomo also warned New Yorkers to remain on guard during the Memorial Day weekend. The state this weekend allowed religious gatherings and Memorial Day ceremonies of no more than 10 people, an order that was expanded on Friday after a legal challenge from the New York Civil Liberties Union. 

The governor said New Yorkers should weigh the risk of holding the gatherings and urged they maintain social distancing guidelines. 

"Is it worth the risk? Two people is a risk, five people is a risk," Cuomo said. "Ten people is a risk. Any one of those people could be infected."