Upper West Side's JCC Closes After Coronavirus Case: Director

UPPER WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN — The neighborhood's Jewish Community Center will close for two days after a child who was in one of its program and her mom tested positive for coronavirus, the center announced Tuesday.

The Marlene Meyerson JCC, found at 334 Amsterdam Ave. near West 76th Street, announced that it will be closed Wednesday and Thursday to undergo an intense "hospital-grade" cleaning of the building.

A child who was in a program at the JCC on Saturday and her mother have both tested positive for the coronavirus and notified the community center quickly of their diagnosis, Executive Director Rabbi Joy Levitt said on the website.

"Both mother and child are currently asymptomatic and doing well, and we appreciate their quick and honest communication with us," Levitt wrote. "All parents with children in that program have been directly notified of the specific situation."

Levitt said he expects the JCC will reopen Friday, but will notify the community if that changes.

There have been 46 novel coronavirus cases confirmed in New York City as of Wednesday morning, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The New York state total reached 186 with a large cluster in New Rochelle, now under a one-mile containment area, the Mayor said.

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There are more than 120,000 confirmed cases world wide and more than 4,300 deaths related to COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins' virus tracker.

Levitt added that community members with questions can email the center. The JCC staff are working on staying "engaged and connected" with the neighborhood even amid the closure.

"We are deeply grateful to those of you who have called or emailed with your support for our work during these challenging times," he wrote. "Now it’s time to call the people you love, hold the people you can, and remember that together we will get through this."