The number of virus patients in I.C.U.s in New York fell for the first time.

All week, officials in New York State have pointed to signs that the coronavirus outbreak is starting to come under control. Still, the number of sick people in hospitals and on ventilators kept growing, and the death toll mounted.

On Friday, for the first time since the outbreak began, one of the main measures used to track the progress of sick patients in New York actually showed improvement.

The number of virus patients being treated in intensive care units across the state fell by 17 people from the day before, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said.

Seventeen may be a very small number, but its significance is great. Just a week ago, the number of intensive-care patients — a vast majority of whom are on ventilators — was growing by more than 300 a day.