Brooklyn COVID-19 Numbers, Mayor On Schools & More
From the State: 18,796 people got tested in Brooklyn, and of those, 499 were positive for COVID19, 2.7%. 7-day average positivity still low at 2.3%. There are fewer tests reported on weekends, so expect the numbers to go up tomorrow.
Elsewhere in the city:
Citywide, we are approaching 2,000 new cases a day fast. Yesterday’s numbers are: 70,230 residents tested, 1,782 positive (2.5%). 7-day positivity 2.6%. We are back in late April/early May in terms of confirmed positives, though there was much less testing back then.
These are numbers from the state, which consistently break it out by county, allowing us to update you on Brooklyn numbers. Southern Brooklyn (south of Prospect Park) has just slightly higher numbers than the rest of Brooklyn.
The city informs that 100 people were hospitalized, of which 43.27% were for COVID-19. The number of people hospitalized is growing slower than expected, which is good news.
Mayor Bill de Blasio talked about reopening schools, finally focusing on what matters – “on the most important and most vulnerable elements of our education system.” He explained this morning:
“When we come back, the first thing we’re going to focus on is getting what’s called District 75 schools, special-ED schools, back and up and running across all grades. Next, the youngest grades, early child education, such a difference-maker for children, bringing that back. 3-K, Pre-K will be a high priority, followed by elementary school. And we’ll keep building from there.”
He urged parents to return the test consent forms and warned that “you’re going to have to help us with the testing of your child before we come back to school.”
Speaking of testing and the long lines, Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said that the administration hopes residents make use of the City testing sites.
“We do know that there have been some longer lines at City sites as well, but on the whole, City sites do have the capacity for this major upsurge in demand that we’re seeing,” adding that they have been deploying the mobile testing units to where demand is highest.
“The Test and Trace Corps and Health + Hospitals who have been leading all of this work are also making sure that we’re distributing self-collection kits to people who are waiting in those longer lines so that they can actually perform the swab on their own, drop it off to decant you know, some of the people who are waiting there,” Choksi said. “We continue to increase the number of both brick and mortar sites, as well as those mobile units that I described.”
“And also bringing more testing to the major transit hubs ahead of the holidays, including JFK, LaGuardia, Penn Station, Port Authority. So, we’ll continue to try to smooth out the supply with the demand,” he informed. “I do want to just say, you know, ahead of the holidays, we are clear, public health guidance is the safest thing to do is not to travel. And that is also a very important message along with our message to get tested.”
