Corona is home to the most cases of the novel coronavirus in the borough and the city, according to new data released by the New York City Health Department on Monday, May 18.
With 4,234 cases, the western Queens neighborhood has over 1,000 cases more than Elmhurst, which, with 3,068 cases, ranks second in the borough.
Much of the data provides further evidence of the idea that low-income neighborhoods, populated primarily by people of color, have been the neighborhoods hit hardest by the pandemic.
Top ten Queens neighborhoods ranked by number of COVID-19 cases
Rank | ZIP | Neighborhood | Cases |
1 | 11368 | Corona | 4,234 |
2 | 11373 | Elmhurst | 3,068 |
3 | 11372 | Jackson Heights | 2,379 |
4 | 11691 | Far Rockaway | 2,152 |
5 | 11377 | Woodside | 2,072 |
6 | 11385 | Ridgewood | 2,027 |
7 | 11434 | Rochdale | 1,946 |
8 | 11432 | Jamaica | 1,691 |
9 | 11435 | Briarwood | 1,535 |
10 | 11369 | East Elmhurst | 1,504 |
While western Queens leads in the number of COVID-19 cases, the Rockaways and Flushing experienced some of the highest numbers of deaths per 100,000 residents, according to the data.
In Far Rockaway, nearly 445 people per 1,000 have died of COVID-19, the highest number in the borough and the second highest in the city. The rate is similar in Flushing, where about 434 people per 100,000 have died of the disease. Arverne and Rockaway Park rank fourth and sixth, respectively, in the death rate in the borough.
Top 10 Queens neighborhoods ranked by deaths per 100,000 residents
Rank | ZIP | Neighborhood | Deaths per 100,000 | Cases |
1 | 11691 | Far Rockaway | 444.73 | 2,152 |
2 | 11354 | Flushing | 434.09 | 1,110 |
3 | 11369 | East Elmhurst | 411.38 | 1,504 |
4 | 11692 | Arverne | 382.70 | 555 |
5 | 11372 | Jackson Heights | 348.45 | 2,379 |
6 | 11694 | Rockaway Park | 343.88 | 662 |
7 | 11432 | Jamaica | 341.80 | 1,691 |
8 | 11368 | Corona | 330.66 | 4,234 |
9 | 11373 | Elmhurst | 287.48 | 3,068 |
10 | 11004 | Glenn Oaks | 282.54 | 541 |
As data grows, the health disparity between income levels and races becomes more clear.
While many neighborhoods in the Rockaways were hit hard by death and disease, Breezy Point, which is overwhelmingly white, was largely spared, according to the data. The neighborhood had the third fewest deaths per 100,000 residents in the borough.
Similarly, while western Queens neighborhoods have been some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in the entire country, the western most neighborhoods, including Long Island City and Astoria, have seen relatively few numbers of cases and far fewer deaths, according to the data.
Death rate per 100,000 people