Brooklyn Coronavirus Hospitalizations Remain High

PROSPECT LEFFERTS GARDENS — Coronavirus hospitalizations in two mostly-black Brooklyn neighborhoods remain high despite deep declines elsewhere, according to data released this week.

Flatbush and Prospect Lefferts Gardens zip codes 11203 and 11226 last week had a combined 144 new patients checked into hospitals from COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a recent news conference.

The numbers are an exception to a wide drop in coronavirus cases that has allowed much of New York — and, potentially, New York City soon — to reopen after major steps to slow the pandemic.

Cuomo said minority communities in New York City have been disproportionately impact by the coronavirus. Infections there have spread among workers who have stayed home, rather than with essential workers, he said.

"We're going to focus on those zip codes, we're going to focus on those communities and we want to slow the infection rate even in those communities," he said. "And that will really bring those numbers down, even in New York City."

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The 11226 zip code, which had 78 new hospitalizations, is 71 percent black and 17 percent Hispanic, according to the governor's office data.

The neighboring 11203 zip had 66 new hospitalizations and is 88 percent black and 6 percent Hispanic.

They rank as the fourth- and ninth-highest zip codes with new COVID-19 hospitalizations over the past week, the data states.

Cuomo said he'll continue to direct more resources toward those communities.

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