COVID-19 cases on the rise in Sunset Park

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in Sunset Park and is urging residents to get tested.

During a two-week period, the Department of Health tested more than 3,300 Sunset Park residents and found 228 positive cases.

The mayor said that testing by the Department of Health and the Test and Trace Corps spotted “a trend that is unusual” in the neighborhood

“We found it by doing exceptionally focused testing, what we call our hyperlocal testing,” he said. “This is part of the test and trace program that says we have certain neighborhoods we want to know more about, we go and do extra testing. We now have a warning light.”

He said the neighborhood’s 38,000 households can expect extra communication, with testers going door to door.

“Our idea is to saturate Sunset Park over the next few days,” he said, “and literally reach every member of the community we possibly can, get as many people as tested as possible, as quickly as possible.”

The department will deploy two mobile testing vans, each of which can do 80 to 100 tests per day. One will be located at Sixth Avenue and 44th Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Friday of this week and all of next week. Another will be based at Brooklyn Herald Gospel Center, 809 44th St., on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Starting Monday, rapid point of care testing will be extended at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. The DOH will also look for additional brick and mortar options for testing sites and partner with local health care providers.

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