1,000 Dead, 20,000 Cases: Harlem Marks 1 Year Of COVID-19

HARLEM, NY — Though it may feel more like a lifetime ago, New York City confirmed its first coronavirus case on March 1, 2020: one year ago, as of Monday.

The anniversary of the first COVID-19 case provides a chance to reflect on the scope of the virus' toll in New York City, and in Harlem.

Though the coronavirus likely arrived in New York in early February, the first person known to test positive for the virus in New York City was confirmed on March 1 in a 39-year-old health care worker who returned from a trip to Iran. Not long after, New York City marked another grim milestone with the first coronavirus death, an 82-year-old woman with emphysema, on March 14.

Harlem emerged as one of Manhattan's hardest-hit neighborhoods by the coronavirus, which laid bare the city's inequity when it came to race and income. East Harlem's 10029 ZIP code has had the most deaths in the borough, and three other Harlem ZIP codes ranked in Manhattan's top 10 by total deaths.

Across Harlem, at least 1,018 families have lost a loved one to the pandemic since it began, and more than 20,000 Harlemites have contracted the virus, according to the city's data.

Here's a look at the virus' toll in numbers in each Harlem ZIP code:

10026 — Central Harlem (South):

• 2,032 total cases
• 5,255 cases per 100,000 residents
• 70 deaths
• 181 deaths per 100,000 residents
• 9.9 percent of people tested who tested positive

10027 — Central Harlem (South), Morningside Heights, West Harlem:

• 3,046 total cases
• 4,804 cases per 100,000 residents
• 141 deaths
• 222 deaths per 100,000 residents
• 8.7 percent of people tested who tested positive

10029 — East Harlem:

• 4,928 total cases
• 6,300 cases per 100,000 residents
• 261 deaths
• 334 deaths per 100,000 residents
• 11.6 percent of people tested who tested positive

10030 — Central Harlem (North):

• 1,588 total cases
• 5,425 cases per 100,000 residents
• 71 deaths
• 243 deaths per 100,000 residents
• 10.8 percent of people tested who tested positive

10031 — Hamilton Heights/West Harlem:

• 3,653 total cases
• 6,189 cases per 100,000 residents
• 164 deaths
• 278 deaths per 100,000 residents
• 12.3 percent of people tested who tested positive

10035 — East Harlem:

• 2,421 total cases
• 6,870 cases per 100,000 residents
• 155 deaths
• 440 deaths per 100,000 residents
• 11.9 percent of people tested who tested positive

10037 — Central Harlem (North)/East Harlem:

• 1,120 total cases
• 5,386 cases per 100,000 residents
• 79 deaths
• 380 deaths per 100,000 residents
• 10.7 percent of people tested who tested positive

10039 — Central Harlem (North)/Washington Heights:

• 1,464 total cases
• 5,386 cases per 100,000 residents
• 77 deaths
• 283 deaths per 100,000 residents
• 11.5 percent of people tested who tested positive

Now, the coronavirus vaccine is already making an impact in Harlem, where thousands of residents have already received at least one dose.

Of course, numbers only tell part of the story of Harlem's pandemic year. The community has mourned the losses of a beloved veterinarian, nearly a dozen parishioners at a single church and a spate of local businesses that could not survive the crisis.

Harlemites also celebrated when a hard-hit nursing home performed its first vaccinations last month, and came together to help those who were struggling.

A year later, Mayor Bill de Blasio has said March 1 will become an annual "Day of Remembrance" for New Yorkers lost to the virus. New York City has lost more than 29,000 people to COVID-19.

Patch reporter Anna Quinn contributed.