Delta Variant Fuels COVID Case Surge In Younger NYers, Data Shows

NEW YORK CITY — A citywide surge in COVID-19 fueled by the delta variant continues to hit younger New Yorkers the hardest, data shows.

Coronavirus rates among city dwellers 25 to 34 years old lead all other age groups in the city, at 137 cases per 100,000 people, according to the most recent data.

And the rates for other younger New Yorkers aren't far behind — the 18- to 24-year-old group's case rate stood at 117 per 100,000 people.

New Yorkers 75 and up, by contrast, had just 25 cases per 100,000 people, data shows.

"As the delta variant continues to spread, we're seeing higher rates of #COVID19 cases in younger New Yorkers," the city's health department tweeted. "Delta is more than twice as contagious as the original virus and may lead to more severe illness."

The delta variant of coronavirus now accounts for roughly 83 percent of new coronavirus infections in New York City — and it threatens to halt the city's hard-fought recovery driven by vaccinations.

The variant's emergence drove up the overall daily average of cases in the city — from 192 in late June to more than 1,500 in recent days — as well as hospitalizations.

COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped to an average of 21 per day in late June — they now stand at 48 per day, data shows.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has taken a strong stance on the solution to the delta variant's surge: vaccinations.

Vaccinations reached months-long lows as the delta variant surged, prompting de Blasio to issue a slate of strict vaccine mandates for city workers. His most-ambitious rule — a proof of vaccination requirement for indoor dining, shows and gyms — starts Aug. 16.

About 64 percent of New Yorkers between 18 and 34 years old have received at least one dose of vaccine, data shows.

By contrast, nearly every group of New Yorkers older than that have partial vaccination rates above 70 percent, according to data.