Customers wear personal protective equipment as they board an MTA bus as it operates without fees, Friday, April 24, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. (Photo: AP)

New York reported its lowest number of daily COVID-19 deaths in weeks on Friday.

The state reported 422 deaths as of Thursday. That’s the fewest since March 31, when it recorded 391 deaths. More than 16,000 people have died in the state from the outbreak.

“Again, this is at an unimaginable level, and it’s dropping somewhat. But it’s still devastating news,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at his daily briefing.

The total number of people hospitalized statewide continues to drop slowly, hitting 14,258, though the number of new patients coming into hospitals is basically flat at around 1,300, Cuomo said.

Though the overall trends provide some hope, the governor continued to stress that any gains could be lost quickly if social distancing restrictions are relaxed too quickly.

“How fast is the decline, how low is the decline?” Cuomo asked. “Again, the variable is what we do.”