When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City and the country last year, The Bronx became the epicenter with the highest rates of infection and deaths from the deadly disease leaving a devastating toll across the borough.
But as the city and state are now reopened with the state of emergency lifted as of yesterday, The Bronx still remains far behind in vaccination rates coming in last among the five boroughs.
Only 46% of Bronx residents of all ages have received at least one dose with only 40% fully vaccinated against COVID-19 which is far below the state’s rates of 59.2% and 52.5% respectively.
This means that many residents are still vulnerable to the COVID-19 particularly now with the worrisome Delta variant that is starting to take hold in the city and now accounts for 10% of cases. While cases remain at historic lows, the Delta variant appears to be the most easily transmissible variant to date.
And according to Dr Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US , the Delta variant is currently the biggest threat in the country’s progress towards eradicating COVID-19.
Although a lot of unknowns still remain about this variant, there are some studies indicating that it may be deadlier causing more severe illness to those infected.
The good news is that individuals that are fully vaccinated appear to be adequately protected from this variant as well indicating that now more than ever it is critical to get vaccinated if you haven’t done so already.
Bronxites have been through so much during these past 15 months and we can’t afford to lose the progress we’ve been making.
If you haven’t been vaccinated and are hesitant about it or know someone who is, ask questions and get educated about COVID-19 and available vaccines.
We owe it to the 5,348 lives lost to date to this disease and to all the friends, families, and loved ones impacted by those losses.
