Coronavirus: Poorer, denser NYC zipcodes have double and triple the city's average death rate
In wealthiest zipcodes, some neighbourhoods have zero deaths
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.New data illuminating the dispersal of deaths in New York City due to Covid-19 has once again confirmed that people in poorer, denser communities are dying at disproportionate rates when compared to the rest of the city.
New York City public health officials released data on Monday detailing coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths by zipcode.
According to the data, the neighbourhood with the highest death rate in the city is the Brooklyn Canarise-Flatlands neighbourhood next to Jamaica Bay.
The neighbourhood has a death rate of 612 deaths per 100,000 residents, which is three times higher than the city's average. The New York City Housing Authority has four public housing developments in the neighbourhood.
Behind Canarise-Flatland is a Queens neighbourhood, Far Rockaway, where the death rate is twice the city's average; 445 deaths per 100,000 residents.
Similar to Canarise-Flatland, the zipcode is home to several public housing structures.
The New York City Housing Authority is trying to prevent worsening outbreaks among densely packed public housing populations by establishing community test sites near housing structures and - in anticipation of the coming summer - distributing air conditioners to residents in hopes they'll be more inclined to stay inside.
The deaths in neighbourhoods like Canarise-Flatland and Far Rockaway are especially jaw-dropping when compared to the national death rate, which is about 27 deaths for every 100,000 people.
Though New York City is the epicenter of the US's coronavirus outbreak, the wealthiest neighbourhoods have managed to dodge most of the suffering wrought by the virus.
Famously well-to-do neighbourhoods like SoHo and Greenwich Village have a death rate that is only a quarter of the city's average death rate, while Lower Manhattan has zip codes with zero deaths as of the data's Monday release.
"This disease, unfortunately, it amplifies the horrible health disparities that already exist and it does very clearly cut by income and by race and the communities that, for a long time, people have not gotten the health care they deserve," New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said during a CNN interview.
Since the data was released, there have been 15,983 deaths in the city attributed to the coronavirus and another 4,823 probable deaths.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments