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Coronavirus Updates: Cuomo Identifies The 20 ZIP Codes With Increasing COVID-19 Positivity Rates

David Cruz

and

Sophia Chang

Published Oct 3, 2020

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Students return to their schools in Bronx

David 'Dee' Delgado / Gothamist

David Cruz

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Sophia Chang

Published Oct 3, 2020

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This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Saturday, October 3rd, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.

New York City is in Phase 4 of reopening now, which includes zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and gyms. A look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.

Here's the latest:

Governor Andrew Cuomo identified the 20 ZIP codes in the state that are seeing increased positivity rates as areas of concern, including several in Brooklyn and Queens, he said in a release Saturday.

These ZIP codes are showing an average rate of positive tests at 5.2%, but the remaining parts of New York state has a 1.01% rate. Altogether, the state is testing at 1.29% positivity. Cuomo also announced there have been 11 million tests conducted in the state to date, including a new record of 134,267 tests reported Friday.

The 20 ZIP codes, which also include Rockland and Orange counties, contained 26% of all positive cases in the State Friday, while representing 6.7% of the state's population.

There were 6 deaths due to COVID-19 in the state Friday, including one death in Queens and one in Nassau County.

In the top 20 ZIP codes that have seen recent outbreaks in Brooklyn, Queens, and Rockland and Orange Counties, 8,676 tests were conducted Friday, yielding 450 positives or a 5.2% positivity rate.

"This pandemic is not over. We continue to closely monitor the data throughout the state, push our testing capacity to new highs and keep an especially close eye on the ZIP codes in hot spot areas, which represented 26 percent of yesterday's cases despite being home to 6.7 percent of the population," Cuomo said in his release. "We know that washing hands, socially distancing and wearing masks makes all the difference in our ability to tame this beast. So my message to New Yorkers is please stay vigilant and my message to local governments is do the enforcement. We can beat this thing if we work together and stay New York Tough."

There were 647 patients hospitalized Friday, a decrease of one patient from Thursday, in 36 counties. The state had 99 newly admitted patients, 149 patients in intensive care, an increase of three patients from Thursday. There were 70 ICU patients on intubation, an increase of five patients from Thursday.

The 20 hotspot ZIP codes are:

The 20 ZIP codes in New York State with concerning increases in COVID-19 rates.

Governor Andrew Cuomo

Chris Christie Announces He's Tested Positive For COVID-19

1 p.m. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced Saturday he's been diagnosed with COVID-19, adding to the increasing number of Republican politicians who tested positive for the virus in the wake of President Donald Trump's announcement early Friday morning that he's tested positive.

Christie said in a tweet Saturday afternoon that he "will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition."

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left, and Trump's attorney and former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, center, listening to Trump during a news conference at the White House Sept. 27th.

Carolyn Kaster/AP/Shutterstock

Christie said he was tested Friday because he was exposed to Trump and the president's senior aide Hope Hicks during debate prep against former Vice President Joe Biden this week. Christie was photographed hugging other people in the Rose Garden on Saturday, following Trump’s announcement of the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court -- a gathering that public health experts are calling a potential superspreader event. Trump is now receiving treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center.

On top of Christie and Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, and U.S. Senators Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have announced they tested positive for COVID-19 this week.

But Christie did not attend the fundraiser at Trump's golf course in Bedminster, N.J. Thursday.

In an interview Friday with NorthJersey.com, Christie said "I don't have any symptoms. I feel fine."

20 Hot Spot ZIP Codes Across NY Contribute To 27% Of New COVID-19 Cases

11 a.m. Twenty of New York State’s 2,205 ZIP codes have been deemed hot spots, contributing 27% of all new positive cases and a 6% positivity rate on Thursday, according to tallies released late Friday by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Sections of New York City, Orange, Rockland, and Nassau counties are part of those 20 ZIP codes deemed "hot spots" by the Cuomo administration, prompting Cuomo to dispatch "people on the ground in the hot spot ZIP codes." The affected neighborhoods will also receive rapid testing, where New Yorkers can receive results in 15 minutes instead of the typical 24 to 48 hours. Cuomo's office did not disclose the specific ZIP codes that are part of that 20.

Some of those ZIP codes fall within the five boroughs, where city health officials have identified problem areas in parts of Brooklyn, including Gravesend, Midwood, Borough Park.

"We are tracking the hot spots here on the home front, and the hot spots are a significant problem," said Cuomo in a statement.

Cuomo's update comes a day after he ordered health officials to fine municipalities upwards of $10,000 if they don't bring COVID-19 rates back down.

The state shattered its previous record in the number of tests performed, with 119,443 tests carried out. Of those tests, 6,703 were performed in those 20 hot spot ZIP codes, where 429 came back positive, producing a 6.4% positivity rate. While those 20 hot spot ZIP codes have shown to high alarmingly high COVID-19 rates, the rest of the state continues to track a lot better, with the latest positivity rate for the state at 1.03%, when removing the outliers.

Three people in Brooklyn have now died from the virus, putting the COVID-19 death count in New York State at 25,497. Meantime, the joint State Liquor Authority and State Police task force issued summonses to seven establishments for ignoring the social distancing orders.

Tagged

COVID-19

Governor Andrew Cuomo

governor chris christie

covid-19 updates

David Cruz

David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Sophia Chang

Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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