Sep 29, 2020 - Health

NYC's coronavirus positivity rate spikes to highest since June

Marisa Fernandez

Mayor Bill DeBlasio wearing a face mask outside — New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images

New York City's coronavirus positivity rate has ticked up to 3.25%, its highest since June, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Why it matters: The jump — from 1.93% on Monday — came on the first day that public elementary classrooms reopened in the city after months of closures, but guidelines state that all public schools will have to shut if the citywide seven-day positivity rate stays above 3%.

It also comes as New York will attempt to reintroduce indoor dining in a limited capacity this week.
"That is cause for real concern," de Blasio said.

The big picture: A number of the spikes happened in Orthodox Jewish communities in South Brooklyn and Queens, per the New York Times.

City officials have threatened to introduce more severe localized lockdown measures, including restricting gatherings of more than 10 people, if outbreaks continue to occur.

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NYC's coronavirus positivity rate spikes to highest since June

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