Forest Hills, Rego Park COVID-19 Rates Elevated Coming Into 2023: Data

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — As the new year approaches, residents in Forest Hills and Rego Park are still grappling with a jump in COVID-19 cases propelled by the winter days.

During the week that ended Dec. 17, the most recent for which data is available, about 218 residents in Forest Hills tested positive for COVID-19, according to city data, at Forest Hill’s population of 71,266.

Forest Hills reported a 15.1 percent positivity rate, a jump from late October’s 11.8 percent.

The positivity rate remained high in Rego Park, with a population of 41,393, compared to the city overall and the borough.

The neighborhood reported an 18.8 percent positivity rate, a sharp increase from 10.8 percent in late October.

Hospitals have been burdened by the growing number of children sick with respiratory syncytial virus and enteroviruses. The winter season, when activities indoors with poor ventilation tend to overpower outdoor activities, is also bringing along a rise in flu cases.