Harlem COVID-19 Rates Rise As Subvariant Spreads: Data

HARLEM, NY — As a highly contagious subvariant fuels an uptick in COVID-19 cases across the country, Harlem's virus rates have risen to their highest level in months, according to testing data.

During the seven-day period that ended Tuesday, a total of 788 Harlemites tested positive for COVID — a 14.7 positivity rate.

That figure, which has held mostly steady since early July, is far higher than the neighborhood's positivity rate in the previous few months. It is roughly the same spot that Harlem found itself in during the tail end of the first omicron wave, in mid-January.

After spending several months mostly in the single digits, positivity rates in Harlem's eight ZIP codes began climbing again in mid-June, city testing data shows.

By comparison, on March 11, Harlem's seven-day positivity rate was just 1.3 percent.

In New York and across the U.S., the summertime jump in virus cases has been driven by BA.5, a subvariant of omicron that has been described as the most contagious strain of COVID-19 yet to emerge. Across the federally-designated health region that includes New York, BA.5 made up 80 percent of new cases during the week that ended July 16.

Hospitalizations have also been rising: 192 Harlem residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 during the 28-day period ending on July 12, the most recent for which data is available. (By comparison, on March 29, just 36 Harlemites had been hospitalized in the previous 28 days.)

No Harlem residents died from COVID-19 in the 28 days through July 8 — though the state as a whole is also seeing a rise in fatalities.

Amid the increase, however, New York's leaders have resisted putting any new restrictions in place. In a news conference on Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York City schools would remain mask-optional in the fall — though the mask mandate for public transit riders would remain in place, she said.

"I'm going to reserve the right to return to this policy if the numbers change, the circumstances change and the severity of the illness has changed," Hochul said of the school rules.

Hochul said fall COVID-19 plans will include a "militaristic" level of preparation.

The state has 20 million at-home tests stockpiled that will be dedicated for students going back to school, she said.

"I know it's only midsummer, but we have the luxury now of time to prepare for the inevitability, which is parents and teachers being anxious about going back to the classroom again," she said.

Matt Troutman contributed to this report.