'No Cluster Situation' In Brooklyn Coronavirus Uptick, Mayor Says

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — An apparent uptick in coronavirus cases in Sunset Park in Brooklyn does not appear to be a "cluster situation" following a test and trace ramp-up in the neighborhood, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The mayor said Monday that thousands of tests conducted in Sunset Park in the last few weeks reveals that specific households, rather than a neighborhood cluster, seem to be the cause of an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

The city ramped up testing in Sunset Park after 228 of 3,300 tests in the last few weeks came back positive for the virus.

"We do not see a cluster situation at this point in Sunset Park," de Blasio said Monday. "We do see individual households with specific problems and those households are being engaged intently to make sure they quarantine that they safely separate."

The mayor said the city has tested 5,200 people since July 29 in Sunset Park.

Of those tests, 328 came back positive, according to health officials. 112 of the positive cases were people who live in Sunset Park (New Yorkers do not have to live in the neighborhood where they get tested).

"The percentage of positive cases is elevated compared to other neighborhoods, but clusters have not been identified," a spokesperson for the health department told Patch.

Health officials have knocked on more than 7,300 doors and done 77,000 robocalls and 35,000 live calls in the neighborhood since announcing they'd be looking into the spike last Wednesday.

Sunset Park residents should still get tested to help health officials trace the virus, de Blasio said.

"If you live in Sunset Park and you haven’t yet been tested, or you haven’t been tested recently, please take advantage of this free testing — it will help us all," he said Monday.

That free testing includes mobile testing sites deployed last week in Sunset Park and testing available at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Residents can catch a shuttle to the Army Terminal from two street corners in Sunset Park.

(NYC Mayor's Office).

De Blasio also warned against residents in Sunset Park gathering in large groups. Over the weekend, two raves with more than 100 people were busted in the neighborhood.

"It’s just unacceptable," de Blasio said about the illegal parties. "You cannot organize a large gathering that’s going to put people’s lives in danger or you’re going to suffer the consequences."

This story will be updated with more details from the health department as they become available.