During the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring, it became quickly apparent that many residents of the Bronx, particularly those living in high-rise apartments, could not easily practice social distancing nor easily quarantine. This was especially true for multi-generational families living in the same dwelling.

Various studies, reviews and hearings on how the City handled the first wave of the crisis showed this to be a major point of concern, along with the increased risk of domestic violence, among other factors.

Now that COVID-19 cases are once more on the rise, the City has sought to address the social distancing conundrum by launching the COVID-19 Hotel Program. Residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, or who have symptoms, and who may be unable to live apart from family members in their home, may be eligible to participate in the hotel program, whereby they would stay at a hotel temporarily while recovering from the virus.

To check for eligibility, call the COVID-19 hotline at 844-NYC-4NYC (844-692-4692). Press 0, then 1, to talk with an agent.

As reported by Norwood News, two large areas of the Bronx have been designated yellow, mircro-cluster zones and, as such, are now subject to tighter restrictions.

In order to track such micro-clusters, the City’s health department is now monitoring the seven-day average percent rate of positive cases per ZIP code. The average rate in Bronx ZIP code 10467, covering Allerton, Norwood, Pelham Parkway and Williamsbridge from Nov. 16 to Nov. 22 was 4.05 percent.

That represented the forty-first highest, seven-day, average positive rate out of all 177 ZIP codes across the city. The highest average rate across the city for the same period was 6.49 percent, and was recorded in Great Kills ZIP code 10308 on Staten Island, while the lowest average rate for the same period was 0.47 percent, recorded in the Financial District in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, Bronx ZIP code 10468, covering Fordham, Kingsbridge and University Heights had an average rate of 5.21 percent for the same period. That represented the eleventh highest average rate across the city.

The average rate for Bronx ZIP code 10453, covering University Heights, Morris Heights and Mount Hope was even higher at 5.85 percent, the seventh highest average in the city.

Attached are some charts from the New York City Department of Health which show the Bronx COVID-19 death and hospitalization rates compared to the city as a whole.

Emergency department admissions in the Bronx were not available. Therefore, only citywide statistics are provided.

The mayor, the governor and local elected officials are still strongly encouraging residents not to travel for the holidays, and instead, to celebrate at home in small gatherings. On Wednesday, Nov 25, on the eve of Thanksgiving, through his regular newsletter, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz offered his condolences to those constituents who had lost family members to COVID-19 this year, and thanked those who are foregoing celebrating the holiday with large groups of family members.

“Public health experts are strongly urging everyone to not travel for Thanksgiving and to avoid seeing people outside of your household,” he wrote. “If you plan to ignore this guidance and see family this holiday, please be sure to keep your mask on as much as possible. Please also do not go to multiple Thanksgiving gatherings, even if it means saying hello to your in-laws virtually instead of in-person.”

He added, “If you do choose to engage in high-risk behavior (such as traveling to see family during the holidays), please isolate when you return to the Bronx and get tested. New York State requires anyone who traveled to a noncontiguous state for more than 24 hours (or to a CDC Level 2 or 3 Health Notice country) to quarantine for 14 days OR to test negative for COVID-19 within three days of leaving that state, quarantine for three days, and test negative for COVID-19 on the fourth day.”

The assemblyman also strongly recommended to anyone who is traveling to quarantine on return to New York, and to get tested twice before interacting with other people.

“For information on where to get tested in New York City, you can visit nyc.gov/COVIDTest or visit NYC Health + Hospitals,” he said. “Please also note that there is still the drive-thru testing site at Lehman College (by appointment only, please call the NYS DOH Coronavirus Hotline at 888-364-3065).”

Noting that the United States just passed 250,000 deaths from COVID-19 and is going in the wrong direction if it wants to control the spread of the virus, Dinowitz added, “It is imperative that we all have a smaller dinner table this year so that we can make sure everyone is alive to join us next year.”

Meanwhile, Governor Andrew Cuomo took a more direct approach when talking about the other recommended, protective measures. “Wear a mask,” he said. “Don’t be a turkey.”

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.