COVID cases spike in two Queens neighborhoods

A medical worker sticks her head outside a Covid-19 testing tent. AP photo/Kathy Wilkens

By David Brand

Recent spikes in positive COVID cases in Far Rockaway and Kew Gardens are causing concern among city health officials, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.

De Blasio cited the two Queens neighborhoods, as well as four communities in Brooklyn, to highlight a so-far modest resurgence of the coronavirus in certain parts of New York City.

“All these are neighborhoods where we've seen some upticks lately,” de Blasio said. “We need to apply a lot of energy and focus to these areas.”

Far Rockaway has had among the highest rates of COVID-19 case and deaths in New York City since the pandemic peaked in March.

De Blasio said residents can expect “a lot of activity in the community” to remind residents about mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and quarantining when sick.

New York City’s positive COVID-19 has hovered around 1 percent over the past several weeks and ticked up to 1.4 percent Tuesday, according to city health data.

The city has already focused COVID testing and prevention efforts in other neighborhoods, including Ozone Park, said Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi.

“We're launching a targeted approach that applies more pressure where there is growth in COVID-19 rates,” Chokshi said. “We're doing this to communicate the urgency we feel and that we need everyone to feel about following guidance to prevent the spread of COVID and to protect one another.