There are now more than 2,000 people hospitalized in New York due to COVID-19 for the first time since the spring, according to numbers released on Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office. 

COVID-19 positive cases continued to also increase as the state and the rest of the country experiences a resurgence of the pandemic that had slowed over the summertime in New York. 

There was a net increase of 156 patients to hospitals in the state in the last day, with total hospitalizations standing at 2,124 people due to COVID-19. Twenty-nine people have been confirmed to have died in the last 24 hours due to the virus. 

State health officials have pursued a strategy of targeted closures and limitations on gatherings and activities, focusing on clusters of cases in parts of the state where COVID positive cases have been found. In the last day, the statewide positivity rate reached 3.18%, the governor's office said. 

Statewide, bars, restaurants and gyms are required to close by 10 p.m. each day and the governor is urging people limit gatherings to no more than 10 people.

Cuomo continued to urge New Yorkers to follow safety guidelines like mask wearing and social distancing while also acknowledging the case count will likely grow. 

"The number of cases across the country and in New York are only continuing to climb. Despite our success in managing the spread, New York is not immune to this national surge of COVID," Cuomo said. 

"Our micro-cluster strategy and testing capacity will help us through this new season, but ensuring we don't go back to where we were in the spring is going to depend on our behavior. We all have a part to play - wear a mask, stay socially distant, avoid gatherings large and small, and wash your hands religiously. Our actions today determine our rate of positive cases tomorrow - it's that simple. We can manage this phase the same way we did before: by holding each other to account and staying New York Tough."