Staten Island sees increase in Covid-19 cases

Weather: Morning showers, then mostly cloudy, with scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High in the upper 70s.

Parking on the alternative side: In effect until Monday (Eid al-Adha).

As concern grows over the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, parts of New York City are seeing a slight increase in Covid-19 cases.

The average seven-day positive test result rate rose to 1.27% on Saturday, according to the latest data from the city’s health department, after weeks of declining cases and low hospitalization rates.

On average, there have been 328 new confirmed and probable cases per day over the past week.

Here’s what you need to know:

The data

Staten Island has the highest test positivity rate in the city at 2.45%. The borough has reported 113 cases in the past seven days and is home to the zip codes with the city’s top three hospitalization rates.

Dr Dave Chokshi, city health commissioner, said the increase in positive cases on Staten Island is likely due to the number of unvaccinated young residents.

“This is perhaps the most dangerous time not to be vaccinated,” Dr Chokshi said at a press conference on Monday. “That is why we have ensured that our immunization efforts continue as urgently as possible so that we can extend immunization protection to as many people as possible.”

New York state lifted virtually all restrictions related to the pandemic on June 15, after 70% of adult residents received at least one dose of the vaccine. Dr Wafaa El-Sadr, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, said the increase in cases was a reminder that the pandemic was not over.

“This should be a wake-up call,” said Dr El-Sadr, adding: “Everything must be done to improve immunization, encourage testing and remind people of what they can do to protect themselves and their families. relatives.”

The answer

During Monday’s press conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio highlighted the importance of getting more New Yorkers vaccinated through community efforts such as mobile vaccination sites, home vaccinations and referral bonuses for to get vaccinated.

As of Monday, 4.4 million New Yorkers had been fully immunized and 4.8 million had received at least one dose, de Blasio said.

“All the efforts made before are the reason why the hospitalization rate is lower and lower,” said de Blasio. “We are monitoring the data very carefully, and we will certainly continue to look at different options of what we need to do to respond to the situation as it evolves.”

Time

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And finally: Tourists rediscover a changed metro

Ali Kate Cherkis writes for The Times:

The last time Richard McKee took the New York subway, John F. Kennedy was in the White House. Now retired and vaccinated, he traveled here in June from northern California and went underground with a camera around his neck to photograph murals and metro station installations.

Things were different than in 1962, when Mr. McKee was here for the last time. “On the one hand,” he says, “the metro is cleaner; it’s calmer.

Mr. McKee is one of the many tourists I have met on the subway this year enjoying a recently reopened New York City. For now at least, travel and hotel costs are still relatively low, encouraging young people, retirees and families to make the trip.

Natasha Vertti and Khiari Bakar took the train from Philadelphia in early June to celebrate Ms. Vertti’s 24th birthday.

“She had never experienced New York’s nightlife before,” said Mr. Bakar, 26. “I’ve been in love with New York for years and thought it would be a great place to get away for her birthday.”

Mr. Bakar noted that the feeling of normalcy on the trains was pleasant and that “the spirit of the city is back”.

The Ortega family, traveling to New York City from Bogotá, Colombia, in June, reached major landmarks, like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. They had planned to make the trip since before the pandemic for the quinceañera of Sara Sofía Ortega.

Sara Sofía’s father Edgar Ortega, who had been to New York before, said they liked taking the subway, which was cleaner and less crowded than on previous visits.

Matthew Gerson made the trip in mid-June from Washington to visit his girlfriend, who was on summer vacation from law school and lived in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

“It’s wonderful to take the subway in New York,” said Mr. Gerson, 25. “It has been a powerful assurance that life is gradually returning to normal. Like waking up from a long, bad dream.

It’s Tuesday, take a walk.

Metropolitan newspaper: high

Dear Diary:

I was on my way to my first job, standing at the corner of 52nd Street and Second Avenue and waiting for the lights to change.

Suddenly I felt my body being lifted off the ground by someone much bigger. I couldn’t see who it was, but I didn’t feel threatened, just confused.

After regaining my balance and composure, I looked up to see that it was an old friend of my father’s.

“You looked like you needed a hug,” he said with a smile.

Embarrassed, I laughed.

“I did,” I say.

-Marc Finando

Illustrated by Agnès Lee. Read more about the metropolitan agenda here.

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