Coronavirus Pandemic's Toll On Forest Hills, 1 Year Later

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — One year ago today, New York City saw its first confirmed case of COVID-19.

Although the coronavirus likely arrived in New York as early as the beginning of February, the first confirmed case of the virus in the city was a 39-year-old health care worker who returned from a trip to Iran and tested positive on March 1, 2020.

Shortly after that, an Uber driver in Far Rockaway became Queens' first person to test positive for the coronavirus.

On March 14, New York City marked another grim milestone with the first confirmed COVID-19 death: an 82-year-old woman with emphysema.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has said that day will become an annual "Day of Remembrance" for the 29,000 New Yorkers — and counting — who have died of the virus.

Forest Hills weathered the pandemic better than many neighboring communities, but the virus still had its toll: The neighborhood's case rate was lower than both the Queens and citywide averages, but its death rate was higher, according to city data.

In Forest Hills, 240 people have died of COVID-19, the data shows. There have been 4,355 cases of the virus — or one out of every 16 people living in the ZIP code 11375.

But the coronavirus vaccine is already making an impact on Forest Hills.

Thousands in the neighborhood have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, and Forest Hills residents are so far getting vaccinated at a higher rate than many other areas of New York City, city data shows.

The numbers only tell part of the story of one year of the pandemic in Forest Hills. The community mourned the loss of local heroes, while businesses struggled to stay afloat.

Still, neighbors came together to help others in need.