Wash Heights, Inwood ZIP Code Has Manhattan's 2nd Top COVID Rate

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — New testing released Monday shows that coronavirus rates remain elevated in parts of Inwood and Washington Heights, with positivity rates in one Upper Manhattan ZIP code ranking as the borough's second highest.

The data, which shows COVID-19 testing results for every New York City ZIP code between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6, shows a citywide increase in the percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, fueling fears that a second wave may be imminent — or has already arrived.

In Inwood and Washington Heights, the highest positivity rate was in 10040, where 2.83 percent of tests came back positive during that week — the second most of any Manhattan ZIP code. Additionally, the rate in 10033 of 2.4 percent was the fourth highest in the borough.

Here is the COVID-19 testing data in the four ZIP codes that make up Inwood and Washington Heights between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6.

• 10034 — Inwood/Washington Heights: 918 people tested, 14 new cases, 1.53 percent positivity.
• 10040 — Washington Heights (North): 919 people tested, 26 new cases, 2.83 percent positivity.
• 10033 — Washington Heights (North/South): 1,418 people tested, 34 new cases, 2.4 percent rate.
• 10032 — Washington Heights (South): 1,659 people tested, 33 new cases, 1.99 percent rate.

Combining the four ZIP codes, the average positivity rate in Inwood and Washington Heights from Oct. 31 to Nov. 6 was 2.1 percent, and there were a total of 107 new cases.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that the city would resurrect the release of ZIP Code-specific COVID-19 data. The city had stopped publishing it to avoid confusion with the state's geographically-based color-coded "zones."

De Blasio said worrying signs that the coronavirus is reasserting itself prompted officials to bring back the ZIP Code data, with some tweaks, to help inform New Yorkers.

The current daily citywide positivity rate stands at 2.36 percent and 2.21 percent over a seven-day average. Both numbers represent unfortunate milestones for the city — for months, the city's positivity rate stayed below 2 percent.

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.

Read More: Coronavirus Rates Rise Across Inwood And Washington Heights