Coronavirus Updates: NYC positivity rate rises as elementary schools reopen

COVID-19 Live Updates, News and Information

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Mayor talks about increase in NYC COVID-19 positivity

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that nine zipcodes are seeing increases.

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.

See how Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to address alarming rises in COVID rates in several New York communities.

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.

10% of all cases are now found in children, according to a study.

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.

MORE NEWS: Watch Eyewitness to a Pandemic

The sense of doom grew, especially after March 1, when the first confirmed case arrived in Manhattan. Soon, there was a hotspot in New Rochelle, and small curfews and containment zones across the area offered a hint of a frightening future we still thought we could avoid.