Governor Andrew Cuomo (Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)
Nov. 3, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The coronavirus positivity rate is rising in the Central Queens cluster that the state has placed in a yellow zone.
The positivity rate of the cluster area — which includes a large section of central Queens including Kew Gardens and Forest Hills — has increased since the week of Oct. 18 when Governor Andrew Cuomo lifted some restrictions in the neighborhoods.
Cuomo moved the Central Queens red and orange zones to yellow zones with fewer COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 21. The positivity rate of the entire Central Queens cluster zone for that week (Oct. 18 through Oct. 24) was 2.4 percent.
The rate increased to 2.68 percent last week (Oct. 25 through Oct. 31), according to state data. The current seven-day rolling average is also 2.68 percent.
The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests reported Saturday in the Central Queens zone climbed higher to 2.88 percent, but decreased to 2.77 percent Sunday, the data shows.
Central Queens Yellow Zone
The area will remain within a yellow zone. Areas can only exit a yellow zone when the positivity rate is below 1.5 percent after 10 days, under the state metrics.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 positivity rate of the Far Rockaway cluster zone has also varied.
The infection rate declined significantly mid way through October–and on Oct. 21 Cuomo downgraded the red and orange zones of the cluster to yellow.
The positivity rate of the Far Rockaway cluster was 2 percent that week. It increased slightly last week to 2.16 percent. However, the current seven-day rolling average positivity rate of the cluster is just under 2 percent at 1.99.
The Far Rockaway zone did see a significant jump in Sunday’s positivity rate. The rate jumped to 3.54 percent Sunday from just 1.17 percent the day before.
Far Rockaway yellow zone
The area will also remain within a yellow zone under the state metrics.
Statewide, the coronavirus positivity rate is at 1.7 percent, according to the data. Like the rest of the U.S. and several other countries, New York has seen a rise in cases as the temperature drops.
Cuomo warned New Yorkers to stay vigilant as COVID-19 surges nationwide.
“All I can do is warn New Yorkers and ask them to remember what worked for us: discipline and smarts,” he said in a statement. “And we have to keep it up because these are dangerous times.”
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