COVID's Toll On The Upper West Side: More Than 300 Deaths

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Compared to much of New York City, the Upper West Side has been somewhat spared by the coronavirus. But that is of little comfort to the loved ones of hundreds of Upper West Siders who lost their lives to COVID-19.

The end of 2020 provides a chance to reflect on the scope of the virus's toll in New York City, and on the Upper West Side. The coronavirus likely arrived in New York in early February, meaning it has been with us for all but one month of this year.

All told, 322 residents of the Upper West Side have died from COVID-19, according to the most recent data released by the city. Just over 5,000 positive cases have been confirmed across the neighborhood's four ZIP codes.

Those numbers, unthinkable at the start of the year, are lower than in many other parts of the city. Nearby Washington Heights had had death rates almost more than double the figures seen in some Upper West Side ZIP codes, while hard-hit Corona, Queens, has reported 443 deaths in just one ZIP code.

Early in the pandemic, Mount Sinai, which has a location in Morningside Heights, began building a 68-bed hospital in Central Park to increase its capacity. It closed in May after treating more than 300 patients.

Near the end of the summer, coronavirus restrictions played a part in the transfer of nearly 300 men suffering from homelessness to The Lucerne hotel on the Upper West Side. The ensuing community reaction, both in support and against the men being placed in the neighborhood, launched the Upper West Side into both citywide and national news.

The rate of new infections also slowed over the summer, and even during a citywide resurgence in recent months, the Upper West Side's case rates have continued to rank among the city's lowest.

• Upper West Side ZIP Code Has Lowest Coronavirus Rate In NYC