Morris Park, Parkchester sections leading in vaccination rates

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Although the Morris Park neighborhood has the highest vaccination rates (76%) in the Bronx, it also has the second highest COVID-19 caseload in the borough, according to NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Photo Adrian Childress

After being one of the boroughs most ravaged by the first wave of the coronavirus in early 2020, the Bronx had the lowest new case total per 100,000 out of all five boroughs last week.

Entering Monday, Bronx County has reached 195,233 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with a seven-day average of 231 new confirmed cases per day, according to the state’s recent health data released on Sept 26.

Additionally, the county has a seven-day positivity rate of 2.5%, which was the lowest of the five boroughs over the past week.

Entering Monday, there were 1,059,589 confirmed cases in New York City, with 70.6% of the population vaccinated.

There are still some neighborhoods in the Bronx that are seeing higher-than-average cases per 100,000 residents — the city’s median is 11 cases per 100,000 residents — such as Woodlawn and Wakefield’s 10470 section that has the highest rate in the borough at 15.2 cases per 100,000 this past week.

Where’s the Spread?
Neighborhoods with new caseloads higher than 11 cases per 100K

Wakefield/Woodlawn (10470) – 15.2 cases per 100K
Morris Park/Westchester Square (10461) – 13.1 cases per 100K
Country Club/Throgs Neck (10465) – 12.3 cases per 100K
Concourse/Melrose (10451) – 12.1 cases per 100K
Allerton//Pelham Parkway/Williamsbridge (10467) – 11.9 cases per 100K
Charlotte Gardens/Tremont/Van Nest/West Farms (10460) – 11.2 cases per 100K
Parkchester/Pelham Parkway/Van Nest/Westchester Square (10462) – 11 cases per 100K,

The Bronx is still lagging behind when it comes to its vaccination rates compared to the rest of New York City, with 908,627 Bronxites (64.1%) have received at least one dose and 774,477 (54.6%) residents fully vaccinated.

However, neighborhoods like Morris Park’s 10461’s neighborhood which has 76% of its population receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and Parkchester’s 10462 which has 73% of the population receiving at least one dose, according to NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

It’s clear, according to DOHMH, that vaccination status has a major affect on COVID-19 diagnosis with cases among unvaccinated New Yorkers contracting the virus at a rate of 58.6 cases per 100,000 people.

However, the city has been temporarily blocked by a federal appeals court in implementing vaccine requirements for public school employees.

Under the mandate, workers at New York City schools had until Monday, Sept. 27, to get their COVID vaccinations before it goes into effect. The temporary restraining order was granted by a judge on the federal government’s Second Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday.

The case will now go to a three-judge federal panel, which agreed Saturday to expedite the argument over the city’s vaccine mandate for public school teachers and staff.

The city Department of Education also released a statement following the ruling:

“We’re confident our vaccine mandate will continue to be upheld once all the facts have been presented because that is the level of protection our students and staff deserve. Our current vax-or-test mandate remains in effect and we’re seeking speedy resolution by the Circuit Court next week. Over 82% of DOE employees have been vaccinated and we continue to urge all employees to get their shot by September 27.”

The mandate was supposed to go into effect on Monday before the roadblock, and a hearing is now set for Wednesday at 10 a.m.