Coronavirus Updates: NYC positivity rate rises as elementary schools reopen

COVID-19 Live Updates, News and Information
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City reported a coronavirus daily positivity rate of 3.25% and a 7-day average of 1.38%.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city is still well below the threshold of 5% and that the city will keep schools open or closed based on the 7-day average, not the daily number. He noted that nine zip codes are experiencing most of the increases,

"The daily number is much affected by the challenges we are seeing in those nine zip codes," the mayor said.

In order to keep the numbers down, Mayor de Blasio said that anyone spotted not wearing a mask will be offered one and reminded that it is required, and if they refuse they will be fined. He said "aggressive" enforcement on that is now underway.

What to know about coronavirus:
Back to school information
How coronavirus changed the New York region
Do you have coronavirus symptoms?
What's Open, What's Closed in the Tri-State area

Here are more of today's headlines:



Cuomo calls on local governments to target clusters
"A cluster can be community spread tomorrow," Cuomo said in urging local governments to aggressively target coronavirus clusters in New York City, Rockland and Orange counties. Rockland County is dealing with a spike in coronavirus cases, with two zip codes at the top of the list of the highest positivity percentages in the state.

Gov Cuomo talks NY Covid clusters


Pediatric COVID-19 Cases
A new study finds the number of pediatric COVID-19 cases is on the rise. Researchers with the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children's Health Association found just 2.2% of nationwide cases in April were children. But data from September shows pediatric cases now account for 10% of all cases.
Uptick seen in pediatric COVID-19 cases


Experts say that while children generally don't get as sick as adults, it's still a troubling example of the virus spreading.

Titans, Vikings close NFL facilities after Titans players test positive for COVID-19, ESPN reports
The Tennessee Titans have closed their facilities until Saturday after three players and five non-players tested positive for COVID-19, a league source told ESPN's Dianna Russini on Tuesday. The Titans, citing an "abundance of caution," issued a statement Tuesday saying they've halted in-person work Tuesday. The Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans on Sunday, did the same.

COVID-19 spikes add to 1st day back-to-classroom jitters in NYC
Students in New York City public schools begin in-person learning Tuesday for the first time in over six months. But there are concerns, as the reopening comes amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases across New York City. The 300,000 kids returning to the classroom this week are in K-5 and K-8 schools.

Mother of teacher who died from COVID-19 also dies from virus
The mother of a South Carolina teacher who died from COVID-19 weeks ago has also died from the virus. Shirley Bannister's 28-year-old daughter Demetria was an elementary school teacher in South Carolina. Demetria died from COVID-19 complications in early September. When Shirley started having COVID-19 symptoms, she went to the hospital to get tested. However, she was turned away.

Worldwide death toll from coronavirus eclipses 1 million
The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus has eclipsed 1 million. The milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, comes nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders' resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work.

List: Travelers to New York from all but these 31 countries must quarantine
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that international travelers coming from what are considered Level 2 and 3 countries will have to quarantine and fill out a travel form when they arrive in New York. Cuomo signed the executive order Monday in response to the CDC's decision to roll back screening measures at airports amid rising COVID-19 cases across the world. Health officials say the measure is necessary for contact tracing purposes.

Stay informed with ABC7's NYC COVID-19 positivity rate tracker
As New York City public schools inch closer to reopening in-person learning, much of the success will rely heavily on schools keeping the COVID rate of infection in check. According to the city, public schools can only stay open if the COVID positivity rate stays below 3%. To stay informed, you can follow ABC7's NYC COVID-19 positivity rate tracker.



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