NYC Coronavirus Rate Continues March Toward 3 Percent, Data Shows

NEW YORK CITY — All of New York City's major coronavirus indicators are on the rise and several have returned to levels last seen at the pandemic's height in the spring, according to new data.

The city's average COVID-19 positivity rate stood at 2.42 percent in daily data released Wednesday. That seven-day average has steadily creeped up toward 3 percent — the city's threshold to close schools and a rate not seen since June.

New cases per day also continued their own rise. They hit 833 over a seven-day average, the highest point since May 24, according to the new data.

Those are all signs that if the coronavirus's second wave is knocking at New York City's door, if it's not already inside the house. Outside, the virus is hitting record highs across the country.

"New York is a ship on the COVID tide," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday, shortly before he announced new coronavirus-related restrictions.

New York's statewide positivity rate eclipsed 3 percent on Tuesday, according to data. Much of that was driven by so-called coronavirus "micro clusters" across the state.

The city's first clusters in Brooklyn and Queens, where state officials imposed color-coded "zones" of varying restrictions, have largely abated. But another popped up in Staten Island, where data shows two ZIP codes — 10308 covering Great Kills and 10307 encompassing Tottenville — leading the city in terms of positivity rates.

Cuomo on Wednesday declared much of the Staten Island will fall under a "yellow" zone. That means Staten Islanders must follow weekly testing rules for schools, can only sit four people per table in indoor and outdoor dining setting and abide by a 50 percent capacity in their houses of worship.