As Kew Gardens' COVID-19 Cases Grow, Nearby Areas See An Uptick

KEW GARDENS, QUEENS — As cases of COVID-19 continue to grow at an "alarming rate" in Kew Gardens, surrounding neighborhoods are starting to see an uptick, city data shows.

About 3.6 percent of coronavirus tests have been coming back positive in Kew Gardens, the NYC Department of Health said in a news release Monday, referring to the neighborhood as one of eight "areas of concern" across the city.

That rate is down slightly from the end of last week — when it surpassed 4 percent — but still outpaces the citywide positive-testing rate, which hit 1.93 percent Monday. The rates represent a 14-day average.

"I am deeply concerned about the reported uptick of Covid in Kew Gardens," City Council Member Karen Koslowitz said in a statement. "I urge all residents to wear masks in public, even if they can maintain social distancing.”

Since city officials first sounded the alarm last week about the cluster of cases in Kew Gardens, cases have started creeping up in the neighborhoods next to it.

In the ZIP code 11367, which includes Kew Gardens Hills and Pomonok, the rate of positive tests hit just over 3 percent Monday.

Of the 114 coronavirus tests reported Sunday in the ZIP code 11367, in Kew Gardens Hills, seven people tested positive, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.

The Department of Health is also monitoring an increase in cases and the positivity rate in the ZIP code 11374 in Rego Park, where about 2.5 percent have been testing positive as of Monday.

Officials previously threatened to restrict gatherings and shut down non-essential businesses, private schools and child care centers in Kew Gardens and the seven other "areas of concern" if cases continue to rise.

Those clusters, which include Edgemere-Far Rockaway and six South Brooklyn neighborhoods, accounted for more than 25 percent of the city's new COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks — despite representing just 7 percent of the city's population.

A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the ZIP code 11367 as Kew Gardens. It covers Kew Gardens Hills.