Ditmars-Steinway Sees Elevated Rate Of Coronavirus Cases

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A subsection of Astoria is among several Queens areas where the rate of coronavirus cases has spiked, soaring past a citywide rate that Mayor Bill de Blasio has already indicated as cause for concern.

In the 11105 ZIP Code in Ditmars Steinway, 3.6 percent of coronavirus tests were positive last week, according to city data released Monday.

While that translates into just three dozen Astorians who tested positive for the virus, de Blasio has called the 7-day rolling positivity average the "truest measure" of where the city stands in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mayor has said schools would close if the 7-day positivity rate hits 3 percent citywide. That rate hit 2.31 percent over the last week, continuing its climb, de Blasio said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ditmars Steinway is among nearly three dozens ZIP codes where the positivity rate has already surpassed the 3-percent threshold, according to the data.

In Queens, those areas include the ZIP codes 11418 in Richmond Hill and 11423 in Hollis, which both have rates higher than 4 percent.

The mayor announced Monday that the city would resume releasing of ZIP code-specific COVID-19 data, after halting the publication of that data to avoid confusion with the state's color-coded "zones."

Worrying signs that the coronavirus is reasserting itself prompted officials to bring back the data — with some tweaks — to help keep New Yorkers informed, de Blasio said.

As a rising tide of coronavirus cases positions New York City on the precipice of a second wave, the mayor said the city now faces its last chance to fight it off.

But he expressed optimism that New Yorkers could still stave off a second wave if they continue to observe health and safety guidelines, like wearing masks and observing social distancing, and get tested for the virus.

"We believe we can still fight back the second wave," de Blasio said Tuesday. "There's still a chance to turn this around."